Infection
by lost-katana
Summary: A disease is sweeping over the city of New York. Those infected have only so long to live and must be helped. But that's going to be difficult as they lose their minds AND become the most powerful people in the world. AND when your brother is one of them.
1. The Power

Hello, one and all! Now that _Pulse_ is done, I'm free to create a new story!

It's about Leo, of course. I'm doing other stuff lately not involving him so much, but I just _gotta_ write about my favorite character! Still, it will _definitely_ involve the others, probably more so than in _Dead of Night_ or _Suicide_.

And I'm aware that it's kinda like a certain batch of episodes we saw in the fourth season, but trust me, its _way_ different. I _was_ originally going to have it set in the FF season, but I didn't have enough info yet to do that.

Anyways, I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT… _yet_. That'll change when I conquer the world.

&&&&&

The man moved in almost a drunken haze, a large grin on his face. By no means was he drunk. He abstained from alcohol. But it didn't hurt to live life with the joy of an intoxicated man, so long as he didn't hurt anyone.

Every once in a while, he laughed out loud, finding something so humorous that he forgot it in his laughter seconds later.

"Ice, rice, nice, dice..." The words slipped easily off his tongue, making him smile.

In the darkness, the streets of New York were a sanctuary. No one cared about someone like him. Well, besides the people walking besides him, anyway. Only their concern was to move as far as they could away from him without falling off the sidewalk.

One such person was a young blonde woman, holding the hand of her miniature. Her daughter looked at him sadly, even as her mother pulled her away.

As they were passing, he smiled at her and gently placed his hand atop of her head, tousling her hair up a little.

She smiled slightly, but the mother recoiled in horror, picking the child up and running away, shouting about perverts as she went.

The man watched her go for a bit before shrugging it off. He was no pervert; he just recognized kindness when he saw it. That's why he gave the power to the girl. She'd use it wisely.

Unfortunately, she'd probably give it to her mother. That was a shame. But at least the child would make the best of it.

He continued his walk with a little less enthusiasm. As he looked around, the man noticed how utterly horrible the world was. Homeless people sat on the streets and the ones with money passed them by without a look. No one cared.

If those homeless citizens had jobs, it'd be different. They'd be accepted into society, other members of the working class… who didn't care about anyone outside their realm of existence.

Such a shame.

Once, he'd had a job. Not too long ago really. But he'd made one little mistake and was fired. Upon leaving, he'd driven around for a while, looking for his bank to get some money. Unable to find it, he'd decided to completely forget about it. Parking his car in a fire lane, he got out and started walking.

That had been last week. He'd just kept walking, sleeping when it was night, eating whatever he could find when his stomach growled… and using the power when he needed to.

Hearing a plunk behind him, he turned around to find his wallet had fallen out of his pocket. Lying open on the ground, he could see a picture of his old face. Usually, he was a fairly handsome, clean-shaven man, but now, his chin was a little gruff, his coal black hair messy, and his dark blue eyes glazed.

There was something wrong with him. But he'd never know it.

Sighing, he bent over and picked up his wallet, staring at his driver's license. Beside the picture was the name: Alexander James Royal.

A little lightbulb went off inside his head. _Oh yeah. Alex. That's me._

Calmly, Alex flipped through the wallet, ignoring the other information long forgotten, wondering if there was any money in it. Like the last times he'd done so, there wasn't.

He felt like having pizza. Maybe he'd find a place around here tomorrow with leftovers.

Turning to the left, the man stood by a dumpster. He decided he'd make this his home for the night and sat down.

A pain in his chest exploded. Gasping, Alex doubled over and tried to breathe.

Through the ragged puffs of air, he heard something fall and hit the earth.

He didn't care.

Someone above him said, "Crap."

He didn't care.

Then, the person who'd uttered that word jumped down beside whatever had fallen and began gathering it up.

Still, Alex did not care. All that mattered was the pain, if only the power would let him will it away. But it didn't. Slowly, however, it began to fade on its own.

He heard the person speaking to him. "Hey, are you all right?" The voice asked.

_Now_ he cared.

The voice sounded young; he was sure it was male. Opening his eyes, he looked at him. The teenager was hidden in the shadows. Alex wanted to see him. There was so much _kindness _in that voice…

In the building behind him, a light flicked on. He smiled as the person was revealed. He'd seen him before- the teen was one of the turtle creatures, the one in blue.

Surprised by the light, the ninja shrunk back a little. "Don't worry." Alex told him. "I ain't scared. And I won't tell anyone about ya."

The turtle hesitated. "Are you okay?" He questioned again.

The pain was nearly gone now. "Yeah." He nodded. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

An aroma filled the air. Cheeses, meat, and hot bread- God, it smelled good.

Frowning, the blue-banded mutant looked him over. "You look half-starved." When Alex shrugged, he turned his attention to the thin box he'd picked up. He had three others in his right arm. "You want something to eat?" He asked, concern written over his features.

Alex's mouth watered. "Umm… that'd be nice. Thank you." He said, getting to his feet, taking in the scent again. "Is that pizza?"

"Yeah." The turtle said, walking over. Placing the boxes on the dumpster, he opened one up. Alex saw a pizza loaded with toppings- meats, veggies, and cheeses. The turtle lifted out five large slices. Making sure no one was looking at a giant turtle, he gave them to the man. "Is that enough?"

The dark-haired man nodded again. "It's plenty." Turning back to the ninja, who was gathering the boxes up, Alex cocked his head.

Such kindness… this turtle was, by far, more compassionate than any one else he'd come across on this journey.

_He_ deserved the power… and he'd know what to do with it.

Tears coming to his eyes, ones that he refused to shed, Alex placed a hand on the turtle's arm. "Thank you." He patted it down once more. "Thank you so much."

The green one smiled in return. "You're welcome. Now, are you sure that's all you need?" He asked.

"Positive." Alex told him.

"Okay." The ninja looked him over slowly. "Well, I gotta go. Goodbye- and… take it easy."

"I will." He told him.

Watching him go, Alex decided that he would. In fact, he decided he was done walking journey. He was going to stay in New York.

**Sitting down again, **a dreamy expression passed over his face. In his ears, a gentle voice, similar, but higher than his whispered soothingly to him, explaining the mysteries of life.

"The power." he said in a soft breath, completely enthralled by it. "The _power_…"

Savoring each bite, he began to chew on the pizzas.

&&&&&

_Three days later._

The two police officers put away their guns, looking at the dead end in the alley. A teen they'd caught selling drugs had gotten away, _again._

As his partner turned around, the officer noticed an odd looking lump by a dumpster. Frowning, he drew his gun once more and walked over to it, hoping it was their perp.

Carefully, he pulled back the blanket that was covering it.

No, not the criminal. But still, a person. The cop looked him over; he wasn't a familiar face.

But he certainly was _dead_. The man was pale, lips almost blue, and it seemed that his bladder had given way at his death.

Shaking his head sadly, he called his partner back. "Hey, Merv! I think we got one for the morgue."

As he waited for his friend to come, he checked out the scene. Nothing appeared to be signs of a crime.

All that was around the man was some trash that had missed the dumpster and five pizza crusts.

&&&&&

So, how was that? Did you like?

Man, I hope you did! Please review, and I'll try to update as soon as I can!


	2. Voices of Midnight

And how might all of you be today? Good, I hope.

I wish I could get these chapters to you sooner, but, as I mentioned in Edge of Calamity, my school blocked this site so I can't get to it anymore. That unfortunately means that you'll have to be patient- I have no Internet access at home, so I'll have to pull a few strings to get these up.

Anyhow, onto Chapter Two! Making up your own fictional disease is difficult. Honestly, I think I did about five hours of research before writing this chapter, _just_ to make sure that nothing I don't want slips through.

Anyway, here we go! It's been about five days since Leo ran into that hobo on the street and two days since said hobo died. Now what happened?

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: At the moment, I don't own the TMNT. But if I de before gaining ownership, they better dedicate an episode to me.

&&&&&

Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, Leo opened them to the view of the New York skyline. Frowning, he brought his palm to his mouth and swallowed three pills of Ibuprofen.

This headache seemed eternal; he simply couldn't kick it. It had started up slowly yesterday, in the early afternoon, but hadn't once gotten any better.

It was making it _really_ difficult to do this simple task. Rubbing his head, he tried to block out the strange sounds coming in through the painful buzzing. In the background, in soft detail, he thought he heard some rap songs, a group of teenage girls laughing, car horns…

"Okay!" He yelled. "Come out! I give up!"

It didn't take long. Mikey popped up from behind the next building, Don from the inside of a dumpster, and Raph crawled up from under the window ledge.

His red-clad brother frowned. "Jeez, Leo. Did you even _try_ looking for us?"

Leo didn't answer. He felt embarrassed, a bit angry with himself. This was a _simple_ training exercise that a _two-year-old _understood. Hide-and-seek, ninja style, of course.

Shaking his head, Leo started towards the end of the building. "Let's just go home."

Mike grinned. "Okay! Who's up for a round of Follow the Leader on the way back?" Starting ahead, giving no one a chance to argue with him, he did a flip from one building to the next. "I'm leader!"

Immediately, Raph and Don followed him, practically synchronized. Leo came after them, a bit grudgingly, but keeping up with their moves. For a while, anyways. Soon, he was too tired to continue and the sounds were too annoying.

As he hopped over an alley, he began to walk. They were almost home, so it didn't matter. Looking down, he recognized it to be the one that he'd met that man in.

The guy had looked to be on the edge of starvation. Leo had given him a few slices of pizza, much to Mike's displeasure when he found out. Those had been for a surprise party.

Besides trash, the alley seemed to be cleared out. The man had left. Leo wasn't surprised, though. Most homeless people moved around, and, in the five days that he'd last seen him, he could've possible been in another state now, he supposed.

Shrugging, he continued onward to the lair. He wanted to lie down, just for a bit.

&&&&&

Sitting on the couch, Raph flipped through the TV shows, bored. Don was busy building something and Mike had taken over the computer, so this was all he had to do.

Local news. _Boring. _Home and Gardening Channel. _Worse._ ESPN. _Stupid commercials. _A chick flick. _I don't think so. _The Incredible Hulk. _Worst. Movie. Ever._ Family Guy. Raph craned his neck to look behind him before turning the channel. _Nope. Not when Splinter's in the same room, anyways._

The door opened and his elder brother came in, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch. "What took ya?" Raph asked him.

"Stopped for a second." Was Leo's only answer.

Shrugging, Raph continued his channel surfing. After waiting through a commercial break, he sat through some national news on NBC, which spoke of everything from a celebrity's new baby, a new law passed by the president, an outbreak going through Pennsylvania and New Jersey, a cocaine bust, and a protest against abortion.

Saying goodnight, Splinter dismissed himself to his room. Immediately, Raph went back to South Park.

It was already over.

Growling, he switched back to the news. "Let's watch a movie." He finally said.

Don put his hammer aside. "I'm up for it. You pick."

Just as Raph was getting up, Leo reached over and picked up the remote. Stoically, he turned it down about fifteen points, leaving it at twelve.

"Not that what's on is interesting, bro, but it's worse without sound."

Leo gritted his teeth. "It's so loud I can't hear myself think."

The purple-clad turtle looked concerned. "Are you sure it isn't just you? Weren't you complaining about a headache yesterday?"

Nodding, their elder brother regressed and turned up the volume a few more points.

Mike yelled from the computer. "Quick, Don! Help me out! If there's this circle with a triangle inside of it, except the one end is part of the circle, and the pointy end in the middle of the circle has an angle of ninety-six degrees, how many degrees of the circle is that round part?"

Confused, everyone but Leo went over to the computer went to see what Mike was talking about. It looked like geometry. "What are you doing, Mikey?" Don asked him.

"I'm taking an IQ test." Their brother responded. "Quick! I'm being timed."

Raph watched as Don looked the screen over. But just as he opened his mouth to answer, one came from the other side of the room.

"One-hundred and ninety-two degrees."

"Huh? The three of them said simultaneously, turning towards their brother in blue.

Leo massaged his temples. "One-hundred and ninety-two degrees." He repeated.

Looking back to the screen, Mike's face brightened. "Hey! That's an option!" Clicking it, he read of the next thirty or so questions.

It was hilarious to Raph, watching Leo and Don answer them. His brainier brother seemed to be trying to beat Leo each time, though in good-hearted competition. It wasn't often you could frustrate Don.

The other competitor, however, didn't seem to realize much else of what was going on around him, besides his headache.

Finished, Mike jumped up. "All right! I got a one-fifty!"

"_You_?" Don snickered. "How many of those did you actually answer by yourself?"

"Two." Mike was quick to answer, wrinkling his beak. "And I got one right." The younger of the four walked over to Leo on the couch, clapping him on the shoulder. "How'd you do that, bro? I thought Don here was the only genius in the family, but you gave him a run for his money."

Covering his ears, Leo winced slightly before understanding the question. "Uh… I really don't know. It just popped into my head." Shakily, he got to his feet. "I'm gonna go to bed. Night."

While Mike and Don hesitantly said good night, Raph raced up after him. "Hey, you all right?"

Leo paused. "Headache… noise… tired. Gonna go to bed."

Raph nodded slowly, concerned. "All right. Call us if you need anything though, okay?"

The older ninja's only answer was a noise that sounded slightly like an affirmative. But he gave them a thumbs up before disappearing into his room.

&&&&&

In a daze, Leonardo fell onto his bed, lying on his stomach. Though it still hurt, the headache had finally leveled off, but the deafening sounds were intensifying.

No… it wasn't _just_ the sounds. All of his senses were going wild now, he realized.

The chill of the air pressed itself firmly against his skin. Under his body, he swore that he could feel _every_ fiber of the mattress, even the old juice stain near the right corner, stiff and scratchy.

If he opened his eyes, Leo could see hairline cracks in the brick walls. A little black ant crawled along through them.

In the back of his throat, he could taste his last meal- chicken noodle soup mixed with the aspirin he'd taken earlier.

And the smells… vanilla became as strong as alcohol, the leftovers downstairs in the sink like the sewers themselves. _That_ smell had progressed to the point where Leo felt like he would faint.

But the sounds were what stood out the most. While writhing in his bed quietly for an hour or two, his hearing seemed to be picking up more and more things that he shouldn't have been able to hear.

In the other rooms, his brothers' snores echoed. Water spilled like a waterfall through the pipes above. And it continued to spread out further all around him until Leo felt like screaming. If he didn't die soon, he'd have to check himself into an insane asylum.

_Relax._ A voice slightly lighter in pitch than his own spoke to him. _This isn't a bad thing._

In the back of his mind, Leo realized that hearing voices wasn't such a good thing either. But at this point, it didn't matter. "How can it be a good thing?" He asked, rolling over on his shell.

_How can it not be? You've been granted a gift- this power is yours._

"But I don't want it. It hurts too much."

_Not for much longer._ The voice assured him soothingly. _No one can hurt you again, no one can lay a hand in aggression upon your family. You can protect those from suffering, execute judgement upon those who deserve it. The power is yours._

Leo licked his dry lips, overlooking his pain. "Show me. How does it work?"

It got right to the chase. _Your senses are receiving more input than you can handle right now. It's causing you pain. You don't want or need all this information, for the time being, so ignore it, like you would the hum of a refrigerator. _

Concentration on the voice alone, Leo tried to do what he was told. Before he knew it, everything was fading away back to the normal levels he was accustomed to. In the blink of an eye, even the headache had disappeared. It was that simple.

He breathed in happiness. "It worked."

_Of course it did. The power is at _your_ command; it does not control _you._ And with it, you can unlock all of its gifts at your discretion. But you must understand it. First lesson- tune your hearing back up._

Though this had shown itself to be the most powerful of his five senses, Leo did not hesitate in doing what he'd been told.

Through the snores, through the pipes, to little rats scurrying, tires squealing, music blaring. It jumbled together into an agonizing cacophony… _Block out any sounds you do not wish to hear._

When Leo did, he found other noises- people laughing, people swearing; coughing sneezing. But it wasn't as loud; it was merely like walking through a crowd. He could handle that.

_Move around. Go through the city as far as possible._

That turned out to be not very far. Maybe a block, at the most. The sounds he was hearing had to be indoors, the slumbering noises of New York. Leo heard people talking in their sleep, others praying. He couldn't understand a word they were saying unless he focused in one particular spot, otherwise it was all muddled together.

He also heard vomiting in one house, screaming in another, and a woman crying, punches over a television background, in yet another.

Biting his lip, his eyes watered. _You can help those people when you're strong enough. _It paused_. You're doing well. Now rest._

Moving away from the scene, Leo was about to tune everything out when he heard another cry somewhere else. A baby.

Sticking around, he soon picked up tapping- feet perhaps? Then came the creaks of a rocking chair. _"Shh…"_ a woman whispered. The baby's mother, he was sure, trying to get the child back to sleep. _"It's okay now. Mommy's here."_

The woman hummed. Leo recognized the tune as "You Are My Sunshine'.

In this house, the mood was peaceful, where nothing else seemed to exist but the squeaks of that rocking chair and a song.

Before he knew it, Leo was lulled to sleep alongside the infant, it's mother's voice growing softer as he unconsciously drew back to his own room and slipped into a warm and silent darkness.

&&&&&

So, now you got a hint to what the power is. But you know nothing of it still. Wahaha!

(clears throat) I know this chappie was kinda short, but I hope you liked it! Please review!


	3. Bats in the Belfry

And I return! With a prescribed dose of Infection!

Ugh, that didn't sound good. Don't worry, I don't plan to go into the medical profession, so you're safe.

Now, I hope you like the new chapter! I pray it's better than the last one- I wasn't thrilled with it myself, but I'd done all the tweaking I could.

So here we go! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: You wanna know something funny? After all these disclaimers, I _still_ don't own the TMNT! Surprising, ain't it?

&&&&&

Yawning, Donatello made his way from his room towards the kitchen. It was half past seven; morning training would start in about an hour or so. The purple-clad ninja was planning on having some breakfast and using the remainder of this early free time to work on a project.

But then he recalled the strange events of last night. He still couldn't figure out Leo had known all of that stuff- some of it had been rather difficult for Don himself. And the fact that his eldest brother hadn't been feeling good the last time he saw him didn't mix in well either.

Before the olive-green turtle had gone to bed last night, he'd had to convince himself to let Leo be. Concerned, he'd wanted to go up and see if something was wrong but eventually talked himself out of it. Leo had looked tired- he might've been asleep and Don hadn't wanted to waken him while he wasn't feeling well.

Deciding he'd check as soon as his brother woke up on his own, he was surprised by what he heard, while he was still rather far from the kitchen.

"Hi, Don." The voice was Leo's.

One eye ridge raised, Donny walked into the room, finding his brother already sitting at the table. "Hi… I wasn't expecting you to be up so soon." The turtle shook his head. _I don't know why. Leo's almost always up before everyone else, sick or not._

Leo shrugged. He was sitting at the table; arms folded atop of it, his head rested just above them. In front of him was a tall, metal mug; Don could smell the tea inside of it. Leo was staring at the cup intently, ignoring the bowl of cereal he'd gotten himself that was sitting to his right.

Making himself a cup of coffee, Don frowned. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Huh?" Leo asked, as if he didn't understand what his brother could be talking about. Still, he didn't look away from the cup.

Turning around, Don folded his arms. "You had that headache last night, remember? How is it now?"

"Oh." Leo smiled, sparing him a short glance. "Much better, thanks." He turned back to the mug.

While the coffee brewed, Don watched his brother out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know why but something felt so… wrong- so strange. Something was definitely up, but Leo seemed oblivious to it, which was a clue-in to the purple-banded ninja. His older brother seemed to be aware of _everything_ at times.

_I wonder what's wrong… _He was also curious if whatever it was serious. Alarm bells were going off in his head, but he had no evidence to anything being wrong.

Nothing but Leo's sudden strange behavior.

When the coffee was done, Don poured it into a mug and sat down at the table, debating whether or not he should make some toast. Leo was still staring at his own mug of tea.

Looking at the cereal, the turtle noticed how soggy it was. Frowning, he leaned forward. The pieces were so mushy by now that they were breaking apart; the milk was a brownish color from the sugar. Yet, it looked as if his brother in blue hadn't even taken a bite. "Leo," he asked, "how long have you been up?"

Raising his right hand, the ninja gently rubbed his fingertips against the surface of the cup. "I don't know. What time is it?"

_It's not like Leo to lose track of the time._ As a matter of fact, he was usually the only person in the family who _did_ know what time it was. "Almost eight."

"Really?" He seemed surprised, but not ultimately concerned. "Huh. Well, I guess about two or three hours then."

"And has that cereal been sitting there for about that long?"

"Cereal?" Leo moved his eyes away. He stared in thought, turning his head to find the bowl. "Oh, I forgot I got it out." He sighed. "I'm not even all that hungry right now. Man, that was stupid of me. I can't believe I let that go to waste."

Getting up, Leo carried the bowl to the sink, clearly frustrated with himself. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Donny asked him.

Sitting back down, Leo smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"It's just… you're acting a little funny." He looked the eldest turtle over. "You were completely out of it last night. And it's like your IQ went up a few dozen points- you were answering questions faster than me."

Now the other mutant looked confused. "I was?" Suddenly, it was like a cloud of understanding passed over him. "Oh yeah. I kinda remember that. That was kinda weird, huh?"

Don nodded, before adding, "And it seems your memory is off a bit." Not only had Leo forgotten his cereal, it seemed he'd forgotten most of an hour of his life last night.

Turning back to the cup, Leo looked it over as Don sipped his coffee. He seemed entranced by it. _What's so interesting about it?_ The mug was simple, nothing worth studying for so long.

Instead, he began to study Leo. After awhile, he noticed that his brother had his head tilted slightly, like he was listening intently to someone. This idea was reinforced by a few nods, like the blue-clad turtle understood an order or was agreeing upon something. Periodically, he tapped his fingers against the table.

There was another feature in Leo's face that Don recognized: the look of profound concentration.

And then it was broken.

Eyes wide with an excitement that Donny rarely saw in him, Leo sat back, grinning. "It worked!"

Curious, he put his coffee down on the table. "What worked?"

He didn't get an answer. At that moment, Splinter walked in. "Ah, my sons. It is good to see you well rested." The rat paused as his students stood and bowed. "Where is Raphael and Michelangelo? I trust they are not still in bed."

Leo laughed. "Oh, they're still in bed, all right."

The strange part was, that when Don went to find his remaining sibling, that was exactly where they were.

&&&&&

Hard as he tried, Leo couldn't focus on half of the lesson for the morning. His new discovery was so exciting, that even his love for Ninjitsu was momentarily pushed aside.

When he was younger, he used to wonder what it would be like to know where everything was- what was coming from behind them, what was hiding beneath his bed, where lost items were.

And now, the power allowed him to do that.

Early this morning, the voice from last night had instructed him in the way to use the power to do this. It was like raising his hearing levels and sense of touch to the highest extreme, eliminating any other sounds that annoyed him at the same time.

The only thing Leo could compare it to was a bat's sonar. Since a bat couldn't see as well, they emitted a noise to find their prey. The sound would go out, bounce off whatever was in the way, and travel back to the bat.

While waiting for his Sensei's next orders, the blue-clad turtle calmly tapped the hilt of his sword, waiting for the sonar to work.

It did so almost immediately. Behind him, he sensed tall, straight shapes… pillars, he realized. Moving further along, he detected the couch in the living room, the televisions, and Splinter's armchair.

He frowned. This wasn't exactly challenging. He already _knew_ where those items were.

Still tapping lightly, he found the sonar could go even further the more he increased the two senses it involved. Eventually, he didn't even have to think about the shapes that were coming back to him. It was piece of cake.

He was in the sewers. He could feel the pipes, knew how much water was rushing through them. Leo could sense each screw, each brick. Soon, he found he didn't even have to tap anymore.

_Sound is a part of everything. _The voice told him. _It moves in all directions, is different for each object it comes from and comes in contact with. Knowing sounds is knowing the world._

"Leonardo!"

Lifting his head immediately at Master Splinter's voice, Leo moved back to the dojo, leaving the world behind, for the moment. "Huh?"

Splinter looked concerned, and a bit frustrated. "Your brothers are already complete with the new kata, and you have yet to begin."

"Oh." Leo said, realizing just how long he'd zoned out. "Sorry, Sensei."

Bowing, he began the kata.

&&&&&

Throughout the entire session of their morning training, Master Splinter kept an eye on his eldest son. He'd overhead the discussion Donatello had had with him, and was thus a little concerned now himself.

That had only elevated during their training. More so than his brothers, Leonardo was dedicated to practicing Ninjitsu. Yet today, he had seemed so… out of it, staring off into space as if it meant the safety of the planet.

As his brothers headed to the den, two most likely to play video games, no doubt, Splinter tapped his cane. "Leonardo, would you please come here?"

Clearly confused, the young ninja nevertheless came over. Walking towards his room, the old rat opened the door, gesturing for his son to come inside. When Leo did so, Splinter shut the door.

"My son," he asked, "are you well? You seem very distracted."

Smiling once he realized what this was all about, Leo nodded. "Yes, Sensei. I'm perfectly fine. I'm sorry about my poor performance back in the dojo- I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Nodding, Splinter sat down. "Do you mind telling me, Leonardo, what is it that is on your mind?"

Typically, his son was very open with him. Only his deepest emotions were stored away in the blue-clad turtle's mind and heart, more so with each year. Most else was usually revealed to his family.

Leo cocked his head. "Actually, Master Splinter, I think I kinda want to keep it private. It's something I haven't quite figured out yet."

Trying to hide his disappointment, the ninja master nodded once more, keeping silent for a few seconds. From here, Leonardo looked slightly pale… "Very well. But are you positive that you are all right?"

"Yes, Sensei." Leo assured him. "I feel fine."

&&&&&

Humming, Mikey sat down at the computer and opened up the Internet. Don looked at him. "What are you doing?" He'd still been working on it.

"Looking for another IQ test." Finding one, he whistled. "Man, this looks hard. Where's Leo? You two can help me with it."

Don rolled his eyes. "Have you ever considered taking one by yourself?"

Faking a look of shock, Mike sat back. "Don, the goal is to get a _high_ score. And as much of a genius as I am, I want to get the best one possible."

Raph joined them. "Suddenly, I'm glad we're mutants. Were we a bunch of humans in a public school, everyone would know us as the brothers of the biggest cheater in New York."

Sticking his tongue out at him, Mikey scrolled down the page. "Hey, how the heck did Leo do that anyway? Did you invent a genius pill or something?"

Shaking his head, Don got up. "No. But if I had, they probably wouldn't be safe for you."

Folding his arms over his plastron, the orange-banded ninja turned back to the screen. "You're just jealous 'cause I'm the good-looking one."

Searching for some more tests, Mike's mind drifted. He found it so strange that Leo had been able to do that last night. And while it was really cool, it was also really freaky, considering how horrible of a headache Leo had had at the time.

And as a devout watcher of any sci-fi and/or horror movies, the blue-green turtle knew that whenever a character started displaying odd new traits, like an enhanced IQ, _along_ with any painful physical symptoms, something was going down. It was like one of the major rules of writing such movies.

Not interested with the tests anymore, Mike closed out of the Internet and got up to make lunch, hoping that this wouldn't end up like those movies. As much as he liked to write them, he _hated_ to live them.

The minute he stepped into kitchen, he bumped into Leo. "Oh, hey bro." Mike greeted him.

For a second, Leo's eyes were very distant, but then he shook his head. "Hi." He must've noticed the time. "Are you making lunch?"

With a nod, Mike began to open up cupboard doors. "Yeah. What sounds good?"

Leo shrugged. "No that hungry. But I need something to do. Mind if I help?"

Putting on a face of terror, Mike leaned against the counter. "You're offering help? The Gods must hate me! They know I must choose between disappointing a brother or allowing said sibling to destroy the world when he makes an atomic bomb out our chicken noodle soup!" Shaking his head, he raised his hands in a 'don't-blame-me' defense. "Sorry, Leo, but there are too many people wanting to get through the next few minutes of their lives."

Frowning, his elder brother actually looked angry. _That's odd… _Mike thought, cutting out the humor. "But hey, you can help get any ingredients I might need." He offered.

Immediately brightening, Leo grinned. "All right. What do you need?"

Listing off a few items for him, Michelangelo watched his brother retrieve some of them while he got to cooking. He had to help him twice; once, Leo seemed to have forgotten where the bread was. Angry, he actually _punched_ the pantry door, where he'd been looking. They kept it on the fridge.

Making soup with sandwiches, the orange-clad turtle thought, _Jeez, bro. What are you, bipolar?_

The minute they had lunch all set out, Mike spoke to him. "Are you sure you don't want anything? We got plenty extra." He was hoping to get some food into his sibling- perhaps that would change his mood.

But Leo shook his head. "No, but thank you. Actually, I think I'll go take a nap. I'm kinda tired."

"Tired?" Mike repeated, not believing what he was hearing. He didn't think any of them had taken a nap since they were six, unless they were completely and thoroughly _exhausted_.

Nodding an affirmative, Leo saluted, strangely looking just that. "See you in a little bit."

Once he was upstairs, Mikey felt he could almost hear that horror music that started at the part of the movie that clued you into something being wrong.

&&&&&

Cold, Leo immediately wrapped himself up in his blankets and hit the bed, playing around with the power.

_The sonar is amazing, isn't it?_

Nodding, Leo closed his eyes. "It's awesome." He mumbled. "I can do a lot with it- it's the perfect gift for a ninja."

_But there's more to do with it that you think- more than you could imagine._

Breathing becoming deeper, Leo shifted in his bed. "Like what?"

There was silence for a moment. _Are you ready to learn?_

&&&&&

He was only sixteen, but Raph felt like he was getting older. Technically, of course, he was each day, but he felt old in the way Splinter used to describe being old.

Raphael had a few memories of their father telling them how the days seemed to fly by with each new year- how sometimes he felt like he was always either going to bed or waking up.

Those comments hadn't been spoken since they'd started fighting the Foot more frequently; starting when they'd just barely turned fifteen.

In the darkness, light flickering off the television screen, the four brothers watched the movie they'd missed last night, since they'd been so, ironically, entertained by two of the turtles going back in forth in a tournament of intelligence- the exact boring stuff Raph had been trying to avoid when he'd turned from the news last night.

Late, both Michelangelo and Donatello were sleeping, missing out on Mace Windu's death scene in the third _Star Wars_ movie.

Awesome as it was, Mikey had made them see it so many times that, by now, it was getting boring.

Taking the bowl of popcorn out of Don's hands, Raph chewed a few pieces, debating whether or not he should switch the movie off. Leaning forward, he glanced over the same brother's sleeping form to Leo.

His eldest sibling didn't look particularly interested either. In fact, Leo seemed to be staring blankly at the wall, tucking the blanket he had further around him.

It had taken all three of them to wake Leo up from his 'nap' this afternoon. He'd slept like a rock until seven. First, Mikey had gone up before eventually enlisting the help of Don. When Leo waved them off, choosing to ignore them, Raph had been called up.

And how he had enjoyed his part. Payback for all of the times Leo had woken him up _early_ in the morning for a training run, Raph had, with a big grin on his face, simply decided to flip the mattress over.

Leo had thrown a fit but had gotten over it surprisingly quickly when the call of nature jumped into the mix. Then it was like nothing had happened.

When dinner was served, the blue-clad turtle sat at the table, bringing that blanket along with the explanation that he felt cold; complimented Mikey on how good the food looked, but declined anything, much to the rest of the family's worry. Apparently, he hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch either.

Worried himself, Raph regretfully was plagued by that worry also and, after dinner, went to apologize to his brother about the 'wake-up call'. Leo had seemed confused for a second, like he didn't recall the incident. Then he brightened and accepted the apology.

He was still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hey, bro." Raph whispered, trying to get his brother's attention. "Leo." Slowly, the turtle turned his head to look at him. "Ya mind if I turn the movie off?"

Leo looked back to the screen, watching it closely. He didn't appear to have been paying attention. Shrugging, he laid his head back. "Fine with me."

Switching the television off, reducing their world to near pitch black, Raph had every intention of getting up and heading to his room. However, his legs didn't seem to share that goal. Sighing, he too leaned back.

The wielder of the katanas stared up at the ceiling with that same blank look. He'd acted so strange last night, and while he looked better physically tonight, he also appeared worse in some aspects.

It reminded him of a 'lights-are-on-but-nobody's-home' look. And that was reason enough to worry.

"You sure you're all right, Leo?" Raph asked, aware that his brother had probably been asked that question several times today.

Sounding perfectly happy, Leo nodded. "Better than I've been in awhile."

Raph paused. "You don't look that way."

Shrugging, the ninja closed his eyes. "Master Splinter doesn't look like he can wipe the floor with all of us, but he can."

The analogy was the cruel truth, but at that same time amusing. Grinning, the red-banded turtle moved Mikey's head over a bit. Their younger brother was to his right, with Don sandwiching him in to his left. He wanted to get up, but suddenly decided otherwise and shifted slightly.

After some time, Leo spoke to him again, voice soft and a bit out there. "Do you know what lies in the darkness?"

Leaning up, Raph looked at him. "Say what?"

"Do you know…" His voice drifted; "what lies in the darkness?" He repeated.

Worry restored, the dark green turtle shook his head. "No."

"I do." At least two minutes passed. By then, Raph thought Leo was asleep, but the eldest spoke again, though it sounded like he was rambling. "Klunk made a mess out of your room… "

"What?" He asked, confused. Leo sounded like he was speaking gibberish.

But by the time the words left his mouth, his brother was asleep.

&&&&&

Another chappie down and another fold of the power revealed! But you ain't seen nothin' yet, people!

So, did you like? Please tell me! And thanks for reading!


	4. Delirium

Now am I early or what? You should all feel honored.

I'm joking. My ego ain't that big.

So, anyone want to read the next chapter? I'm out of interesting author's notes, so please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I've checked the classifieds, ebay, and all local garage sales, but the ownership of the TMNT doesn't seem to be up for sale. Until then, they aren't mine.

&&&&&

Awakened by the sound of a soft click and a brilliant flash of light, Mikey raised his head off of Raph's shoulder to the worst thing he could imagine.

Standing there before the couch, grinning with Polaroid camera in hand, Splinter looked down on them. It was only when he realized his position did Mikey figure out how even more horrible it was.

Last night, they'd been watching _Star Wars_. Apparently, all of them had fallen asleep here on the couch, all nice and snuggled up, just waiting for their Sensei to find them in the morning, armed with camera to capture the image, stick it in his scrapbook, and embarrass them whenever opportunity reared its ugly head.

"Sensei!" Raph roared, stirred out of his sleep by the same horror as Mike had been.

"Yes, my son?" Splinter asked, still grinning.

Donatello rose, quickly understanding what was going on. "Oh… you didn't."

"But I did." Walking away, back to his room. "Just be grateful, my sons, that I do not understand how to use this 'email', for several copies of this photograph would've been delivered to April and Casey by now."

Jumping to his feet, Mikey ran in front of the rat, trying to grab the picture. Splinter easily kept a hold of it. "_Please_, Sensei?" The orange-clad ninja begged. "You won't show that to anyone, will you?"

"It all depends, Michelangelo." Splinter replied. "This home is filthy. Are you willing to clean it?"

Raph was behind him now. "Oh, that's _low_, Master Splinter. You're blackmailing us?"

"No, no, Raphael." Splinter said as he slipped the polaroid into the folds of his clothes. "I am merely… _encouraging_ you. Practice will be cancelled this morning. I suggest you get to work."

They watched as he left. Don shook his head. "He is cruel."

Trying to think about this, Mike smiled. "Okay, let's start! How about Raph does the bathrooms, Leo takes care of the bedrooms, Don the kitchen, and I handle the dusting?"

Raph glared at him. "One of the very few things we _don't_ have to take care of _is_ dust."

"Exactly."

His brother smacked him upside the head.

Don stood up. "Well, I guess we better wake up Leo. I'm actually surprised he isn't awake already."

Frowning, Mike looked down at the couch. Sure enough, their elder brother was asleep there, head resting on one arm of the couch, completely wrapped up in that blanket.

Walking over to the couch, Raph shook his covered shoulder. "C'mon, Leo. Time to get up."

Making a little noise, Leo sank his head under the blanket. "I don't wanna…" He mumbled.

Raising an eye ridge, Mike watched the scene as it progressed. They'd gone through with this yesterday. He was wondering if this would be a rerun of that situation's events, even though Raph wouldn't be able to flip the couch over to wake Leo up.

Crossing his arms, Raph grit his teeth. "_Now_, bro."

"Un-uh. Too tired… leave me alone…"

Donny looked at him, concerned. "Leo, you slept most of yesterday- you didn't even eat anything."

There was a pause. "I didn't?"

It was odd, how forgetful Leo had been lately. Mikey moved forward. "Nope. How about I make you something?"

"Not hungry. Just wanna sleep…"

Raph rolled his eyes. "You've _been_ sleeping! Get up, Leo! We got stuff to do!"

Gently pushing his brother aside, Mike went over to the blue-clad ninja. He pulled on Leo's arm slightly. "C'mon, bro. Before you make Raph's head explode and we have to clean that up, too."

For a split second, when he bent down, Mike thought he felt the faintest of weight pressing against his plastron, no heavier than a pillow. But it was gone quickly and Leo was leaning forward, looking irritated and more exhausted than the day before.

"Fine." The elder ninja said unhappily. "I'm up."

&&&&&

When Raph saw Leo while they were cleaning up around the lair, he couldn't help but watch him quizzically.

The guy hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours, but he was full with half an apple- the only thing he'd touched for breakfast. What he cleaned didn't seem anywhere near as neat as it should've been with Leo working on it; Mike was even doing a better job.

And now, as he cleaned the television screens, Leo was shaking with cold like a leaf in a blizzard.

Shaking his head, Raph finished what he was doing, throwing away some trash he'd found into the garbage can. Don walked into the room. "We're almost done." The purple-banded turtle informed him. "And it's getting close to noon. Maybe we should take a lunch break."

Raph shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

When the two of them walked out to the living room, Leo was shivering slightly still and leaning against the couch, looking at the floor, nodding, while Mike came out of the dojo, where he'd been cleaning the weapons.

Splinter came and glanced around. "This is looking much better. But you still have a ways to go."

"Don't worry, Sensei." Don assured him with a smile. "We're just going to take a lunch break and then will start back up."

"Very well." Splinter said as Raph began to walk away. "When you're done, I suggest you-"

Suddenly, Leo jumped, seemingly startled, and drew his katana. It was pointed directly at Raph's head.

All went silent. Raph looked at him, quickly realizing just how obvious it was that Leo wasn't 'fine'. Though he was managing to keep the sword straight, his hands were quivering slightly; his eyes were glazed and a fine sweat was working at his temple. "Leo. Put the sword down."

His brother didn't answer. He didn't even seem to be aware of what had been said. In fact, now that he noticed it, Leo actually appeared to be staring _beyond_ him.

Taking a risk, Raph cautiously moved out of the way. Leo didn't follow him. The red-banded brother moved over to him closely. "Bro." Several seconds later, the elder cocked his head in his direction. "C'mon, bro. Put the sword down."

Leo didn't respond at first, still staring at that same spot. "I'm not touching it." He whispered.

Without warning his fist opened and the katana crashed to the floor.

Breathing out deeply, Leo walked away, as if what had just happened was nothing. The rest of them looked at each other, knowing full well now that something was going on.

Splinter walked up to the elder turtle. "Leonardo." He said. Leo turned to look at him. "My son, you do not look well. You appear exhausted." He paused. "Perhaps you should rest?"

Leo just stared before shrugging. "Rest?" He looked away. "I am kinda tired. Okay..." Without warning, the young ninja's eyes rolled back into his head and he began to fall forward.

Rushing to him, Raph caught him before he hit the floor. Mikey ran up. "What the heck's going on here?" He asked.

Don moved towards him and kneeled down. He felt their brother's forehead. "I think Leo's sick."

&&&&&

"So, what's wrong with him?" Raph asked.

All five of them were in Don's lab. About two hours after Leo's collapse, which led to a bit of a checkup while he was unconscious, their elder brother awoke- tired, shivering, and none-too-happy about being forced to keep still and out of their conversation.

Don frowned, looking away from the blue-clad turtle. "I'm not entirely sure." He answered. "In a hospital, at this point, they'd call it a fever of unknown origin."

"It's not hot," Leo said, "it's cold."

Ignoring him, the olive-green turtle lowered his voice further. "At a little over a hundred degrees, it's significant enough for human standards. For cold-blooded reptiles, it's enough to worry me."

Mikey was spinning around in Don's computer chair. "That explains the whole memory problem, then."

"Maybe." Don admitted. "But we don't want to jump to conclusions yet. Likewise, I also think it might explain why he's been zoning out on us recently. I believe he's fairly delirious. But then again, that's just a theory."

Leo sighed in frustration. "Am not."

The rest of the family looked at him in amazement. Their voices had been kept so low, not even a trained ninja like Leo should've been able to hear him.

Don shook his head. _So much for trying to tell him later. _He walked over to his brother. There was no point in keeping him out of their discussion now; not when he could apparently hear every word they were saying.

"Leo," Donny began, "either way, you're still ill, and definitely not yourself, at the very least."

Looking confused, Leonardo sat up a little. "Who else could I be?"

"Jeez!" Raph said, coming up beside him. "I'll say your diagnosis is correct, bro."

Though their elder brother had been having memory problems, he wasn't _that_ bad. Not yet, anyway. Leo turned to Raph, glaring. "I am not." He insisted, voice cold.

Mikey and Splinter joined them, the former cocking his head. "Ya know, he's been kinda moody lately, too." He whispered.

Laying back down, turned over on his side, Leo wrapped himself tighter in the blanket. "I heard that."

Splinter placed his hand on the blanket. "My son, relax. You are working yourself up."

"I'm perfectly fine." Leo argued drowsily. "Just tired. And I have a lot to do, so can you just stop talking?"

Don blinked in confusion. "Like what?"

Leo didn't hear him. In seconds, he'd fallen into the world of the deep slumbering once more.

Shaking his head again, Don placed his hand atop Leo's temple. He was burning up- more feverish than before, it seemed.

"That's probably why he's so tired, too. And rest is the only thing I can suggest for him at this point. That and some fluids, maybe. We'll have to keep a close eye on him- hopefully, we'll be able to figure out what's wrong with him soon."

&&&&&

_The power is quite taxing on the body. _The voice told him as he slept. _Especially this aspect of it. But that will matter little once it's fully developed. Can you feel it as it sits within you; flowing through you?_

Leo smiled. "Uh-huh…"

_You are learning how to use the power with incredible speed and skill._

"Thanks…" he mumbled softly; "It's hard to use though…"

_It will get easier, just give it time_.

Slowly nestling within the stage of semi-consciousness, Leo became slightly aware of what was going on in the room. Using the sonar, he was able to figure out who was in it with him.

Don was leaving, Raph was coming in.

Dogs had the most amazing sense of smell. Leo had once read a few articles about them. They could sniff out just about anything, ranging from physical smells like blood and urine, food and spices; dangerous things, be they drugs or even something hidden from sight like a brain tumor. They even were able to smell _feelings_. Sadness, happiness, fear- the works.

Leo had discovered last night that he could experience that as well. Right now, he was sensing the smells of worry, confusion, and boredom. No happy smells here. That was sad; Leo wanted his siblings to be happy.

He sneezed suddenly. The lab was dusty.

Hearing Raphael walk over to him, Leo opened his eyes and looked at his brother. The red-clad turtle had his arms crossed over his plastron. "How ya feelin', bro?"

"Told you I was fine." Leo said, huddling up. He was cold, and the blanket was gone.

"Had to take it." Raph said. "We didn't want you to get overheated."

"Cold." The blue-clad turtle said, not realizing it was the second time he'd argued this point. "Not hot."

Gritting his teeth, Raph just shook his head. "You hungry?"

"No." Leo said, turning over onto his carapace. He looked around. "Don needs to clean this place up. Can I go back to my room?"

Raph gave him a negative. "Don wants to make sure you're close to all of the meds- in case something goes wrong." He paused, cocked his head. "How'd ya know?"

"Know what?"

"Klunk." Raph said. "Last night, you told me he'd messed up my room. I went up there today and found a few presents he'd left for me. How'd ya know?"

Leo smiled, slowly recalling that feeling he'd had late last night, finding the cat's prescence through his sonar, knowing everything he was doing in that room. The turtle yawned, already growing drowsy once more. He was eager to learn from the voice how to develop this power further. "'Cause I can see in the darkness…"

&&&&&

It was late- about eight now. Leo had slept through most of the day, but always seemed to wake up exhausted.

Raph watched him, more worried than he'd thought he'd be.

Never had he seen Leo so, for lack of a better word, out of his mind. Not even when he'd been upset and hard after their final fight with the Shredder.

Occasionally, he heard his brother mumble words into the pillow, holding conversation with an invisible houseguest.

He didn't like it.

Mikey came into the room. "Hey, Raph." He greeted. "He doing any better?"

"Not much."

The youngest turtle looked sullen with the news, but grinned. "Splinter says he'll keep an eye on him. April and Casey got some extra Chinese food and thought we might like to have some. Sensei says we can go get it."

Chinese sounded great. Nodding, he trailed after his brother.

Before he left, Leo continued with the one-sided dialogue Raph had been able to hear. "The power…" He mumbled, smiling happily in his sleep.

&&&&&

When Leo awoke the second time, it was too steps departing from his side. He felt the presence, each hair on it's body, each bone within it.

A giant rat. Splinter. He was heading in the direction of the bathroom.

Yawning, Leo sat up and looked around the room, unable to recall exactly how he'd gotten there. _Don keeps this place so messy._ He thought.

The power was very strong within him now. He'd learned how to use it well while he'd rested, experimented a little with it in other rooms, while he'd rested in here. He was much better with it than this morning. Leo grinned. He was skilled now.

After ten minutes of boredom, Leo felt like taking a walk. He could smell something wonderful brewing above the surface, through the stench of the sewers. And some interesting sounds were up there too.

Getting up, Leo headed towards the exit of the lair. From there, he climbed up the ladder and out through a manhole, and into the dark and exhilarating world it led to.

&&&&&

Straightening his tie, Agent Bishop looked through his sunglasses to the scientist of many bodies who stood before him. "Doctor Stockman." He began. "I do _not_ enjoy returning from an important business trip with the President of the United States to bad news. I especially don't enjoy hearing that we may have another outbreak on our hands that's originated through this branch. Can you confirm any of this?"

"Well, Agent Bishop," Stockman explained, "we have very little now, but I do believe that that is exactly what's going on."

"Have you apprehended them?" He asked, referring to the four people who were thought to have spread this.

Stockman handed him four reports, each on one of them. "We found Coombs dead in her apartment three days ago. As for the others, we have no idea."

Bishop accepted the files. "So tell me, doctor, what do we know of this outbreak?"

The scientist started again. "We're starting to believe that this… virus, is only contagious after the person is infected for five days. That also happens to be the day each of them disappeared. Jacobsen's wife began developing symptoms starting only on that day, though she'd been around him the days prior to that. We have her here, sedated so she can't use any of these abilities we've monitored."

"What about the children?" Bishop asked.

"They hadn't been around much. All three of them have school, plus extracurricular activities. And when they weren't on school grounds, they were usually at their friends' houses. They've shown no signs of infection."

Discarding Anna Coombs' file, he looked at the other three; Jacobsen, Royal, and Wheeler were still MIA. He lifted the papers up. "Where did they go?"

"We don't know, sir." Stockman said. "The best way we can track their movements is by following the trail of the outbreak. Most of them are here in Pennsylvania, but there are several cases developing in New Jersey; New York is beginning to show signs of the infection, too."

Bishop flipped through the papers. "We'll send a few teams out into the field. I want thirty men in each state, patrolling the streets in search of our three men. And if they find any infected people, they're to sedate them and bring them back here for studying."

"But, sir," Stockman said, "these people aren't your every day catch. These new talents they've developed… they make it extremely difficult to apprehend them."

Walking out of the door to gather some agents, Bishop frowned. "If we can't detain them, then we'll kill them."

&&&&&

And there we go!

So, how was that? Good, I hope. Please tell me if you like it! And don't worry, you'll be learning more about the infection as we go along.

Please review!


	5. Develop

(phone rings in the silence) Guess who?

Ack! Don't run away! This isn't a horror story (I'm done with Pulse lol)!

So, I'm back with a new chappie of Infection. I'm so glad you guys are liking this! It's quite reassuring.

Thus, without further ado, we shall move on with the story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If you think I own the TMNT, you're confusing me with Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. And while that's be cool to own them, that _really_ wouldn't be a compliment.

&&&&&

After getting Splinter's phone call, the three turtles had rushed home as quickly as possible.

Mikey stared in disbelief. "He just got up and left?"

Sighing, the old rat nodded. "Yes, my son. He was asleep when I left him alone for a few moments. I had to use the bathroom. When I came back, Leonardo was gone."

"Where the hell would he go?" Raph exclaimed. "He can't remember half of what he does in a day- I don't think he had any special plans."

Raising his hands, Splinter continued. "I do not know, my son. But that is not the strangest thing."

Without saying any more, their Sensei walked away. Exchanging curious glances, they followed him into Don's lab… and stopped short.

Raph's eyes scanned the entire area. "What the…"

The room was not how they left it. It looked like it had been cleaned, in a quick, lack of attention to detail sort of way.

Donny's paper's were no longer all over the place, but stacked haphazardly in a pile by his computer. His inventions had been lined up on their shelves, but a few looked as if they were going to fall of at any minute and break. A few vials containing something unknown already had.

Two mouse-traps Don had had hidden in the room were out in the open now, also lined up. The bait had been removed, placed in a separate pile. The list went on.

Getting their attention, Splinter tapped his cane. "It was not like this when I left. And I've found other items of such curious nature throughout the house- though none were quite as neat as this. Michelangelo, you may want to replace your CD's."

Raph closed his eyes. "He said you kept this place messy." He muttered.

Don turned to him. "What?"

"Leo. He said you kept this room messy."

Looking at them curiously, Mike frowned. "But he couldn't have done this that fast. It would've taken forever."

Shaking his head, Don took out his Shell Cell. "Last I checked, Leo still had his phone with him. I think maybe we should call him."

&&&&&

Arms spread out, palms open to the sky, Leo caught raindrops in his open mouth, grinning at the feeling of the water gently bombarding his skin.

Opening his eyes, still smiling, he looked at the night that loomed above him through the shower. The moon was waning and half-hidden by clouds. As if to touch it, he raised one hand and felt the moist air with his fingers.

He had increased the sensations of touch to better experience the shower, so when the Shell Cell vibrated against his skin, it hurt. Hissing, he grabbed the device and decreased his sensitivity to a normal level.

"Hello?" He asked, walking on the ledge of the building, stretching one arm out to balance himself.

"_Leo?" _The voice was Don's. _"Where the shell are you?"_

Looking back up at the moon, Leo grinned again. "On the planet Earth. Did you know it's raining?"

There was a pause on the other end. _"Yeah, but-"_

"It's really nice out here, Don. The only bad thing about the rain is it makes everything colder. It says I can't change my body temperature, but I don't know. I think I'll work on that."

"_Wait a minute, bro. Slow down. Who said that?"_

Leo shrugged. "Oh, I don't think you've met. Hey, did you break something?" He asked upon hearing a shattering sound in the background.

"_No." _Donny sounded a little exasperated now. _"That was one of my glass beakers. Leo, did you move everything around in my lab? And who were you talking about? I need you to stay focused." _

Yawning, the blue-clad turtle rolled his shoulders back a little. He tried to think about all the stuff that Don had asked him and wrinkled his nose in defeat. A shadow on the ground had caught his attention and he'd chosen to manipulate it around with the power, and thus hadn't heard half of what his brother had said. "You're giving me a headache."

Don sighed. _"Okay. Let's try this slowly. I need you to pay attention to what I'm saying, okay? Are you listening to what I'm telling you, Leo?"_

Leo nodded. "Uh-huh." He stopped messing around with the shadow. It didn't look right now. Like a badly shaped piece of clay, he discarded it.

"_Do you remember me telling you that you're sick?"_

"Nope." Jumping off the rooftop, he landed on the ground with ease.

"_Well, you are. You have a high fever, and you need to be at home. That's where we left you. Where did you go?"_

Watching cars speed by on the street before him, he answered. "Around. Hey, that guy ran a red light!"

"_Focus, Leo! Tell me where you are."_

Craning his neck, Leo looked at the street signs. "Calico and Young."

More background noise. Increasing his hearing, Leo could hear footsteps, an engine, and other car noises. He wondered if he could use the sonar through the phone. _"All right. I want you to stay right there. Were going to come and get you."_

"I already figured that. I can hear the Battle Shell. Who didn't put their seatbelt on? I only heard two clicks."

There was another pause. _"Mikey… Leo, how could you have heard _that_?"_

Leo didn't answer. Two blocks over, he suddenly saw something strange. A white figure- pure and glowing, absolutely featureless, like an image caught in a photograph that had completely absorbed the flash.

In seconds, he didn't even remember answering the Shell Cell. Opening his mouth, he caught a few more sweet raindrops in his mouth before, without realizing it, dropping the phone to the ground.

When he turned his head again, the luminescent figure was still there. People walking by on the streets didn't seem to notice it. But perhaps that was because they were paying attention to all of the glass windows of the cars passing by, which were shattering into pieces.

Three men in black stepped out and began to ransack the place, but Leo didn't notice them. The sound had hurt his ears so bad, he was crying in pain, holding his hands over them.

When he opened his eyes again, the white figure was above him. _Aren't you going to stop them?_ It asked without speaking. Its voice was that of the one in his head.

Feeling through his sonar, Leo found the figures in the three different buildings. Things were going to hell in the stores. He realized that they too had the power, but how could that be? They weren't using it correctly- not to help people, but to hurt them.

So, tapping into his own power, grinning as it flowed through him and bent to his will, Leo stopped them.

&&&&&

"Leo?" Don asked. "Leo?" The phone went dead. Cursing, Don shut it. "He hung up on me!"

Raph's face was grim as he began to drive around town. "Nutcase probably forgot he was talking to ya." He turned; they were two streets away from Young. "At least he said where he was."

Don frowned and looked out the window. "What's going on?" The purple-clad ninja looked back and forth from the people going by on the streets.

It was like, in the blink of an eye, a major riot had started out. People were flying back as if they'd been hit by bazookas; the ground was rumbling; people were screaming.

Mike looked about ready to get in there and help those who were innocent. "What the shell?" His face blanched slightly. "Wait, you don't think Leo's caught up in this, do you?"

Turning back to his brother at the wheel, Don watched as Raph turned his face back ahead and floored the gas pedal, avoiding other cars, and people in the way.

Somehow, they made it to Calico and Young. It was no better. Stores looked like they'd been looted, but it seemed some authorities had shown up.

Just the wrong ones.

"Bishop." Donny said under his breath.

They watched for a few seconds as some of the agents shot at certain of the rioters with tasers and tranquilizers before getting out. Raph ran up to one, punched him hard in the jaw, and grabbed by the shirt. "Where is he?" He screamed in his face.

"You won't find him here, Raphael." Bishop's voice came from behind them. He walked towards them. "We didn't come here for you- we came here to solve a problem."

Mikey looked him over. "After all of the stuff you've done to us, you honestly expect us to believe that?"

Bishop shifted his eyes in the orange turtle's direction and straightened his tie. "The world doesn't revolve around the four of you. Now if you'll release my man, there's a lot more to be taken care of."

"Sir!" One of the soldiers shouted. "This area is clear. We've rounded up as many of the infected as possible, we only had to kill one of them. From what I've heard from the civilians, someone else was here earlier to take care of things. There's a kid who saw someone in a green shirt and blue mask do something similar to what some of the more decent of the infected people around here. I guess he stopped the looters."

"Thank you." Bishop said, dismissing him with his hand. He turned back to the turtles. "You said you were looking for Leonardo. Does he happen to be ill?

Don watched him with a hard stare, reminded of the mutations this man had caused. Why did he have the feeling this was the same thing over again? "Yes."

"Then trust me- you won't be able to find him by this method. He's probably too powerful by now."

Raph looked around. "That guy said these people are infected." He paused. "What the hell did you do now, Bishop? You wouldn't be here if you didn't do something."

Don stepped forward. "And what's wrong with Leo?"

Pushing his sunglasses further up on the bridge of his nose, Bishop's face lacked all emotion. "It has very little to do with me. Four of my personnel were infected with an alien disease and disappeared. They've obviously spread it. Besides killing the host in fourteen days, it gives them abnormal powers- some of which we don't even know."

"Kill?" Mikey piped in. "Wait, you have a cure, right?"

Glaring at them, Bishop kept his voice just as even as always. "Despite what you may think, I do not _happen_ to be the Albertson's pharmacy for mutants."

Sai ready, Raph rushed forward. "But you _will_ help us."

Backing up and sidestepping him, the government agent. "Not unless you agree to help _me._" He said. When the three of him looked at him curiously, he went on. "The three of you are probably infected now yourselves. The disease is transmitted by a mere touch. We could use you to help find a cure."

Don looked at the unconscious human bodies they were loading away. Bishop had plenty of test subjects on his hands. "This is big, isn't it?" He asked. "You can't risk testing this cure on humans, so you're going to make us the guinea pigs."

"If you want help getting your brother back," Bishop began, "you'll agree."

Feeling what was left of the drizzle sprinkle down on his bald head, Don looked at his brothers. He'd tracked Leo through the Shell Cell- his brother must've left it behind, because it was in the nearest ally.

Simultaneously, the three of them nodded.

Bishop did likewise. "Very well. Then we better hurry. I have a helicopter waiting- we'll go to my base. When we're done, I'll send you back to find your brother."

"Where are we going?" Mikey asked.

"Pennsylvania."

&&&&&

_You've done well._ The voice told him as they walked. The alleyways were dirty, but it wasn't like he cared.

"Thanks." Leo said, shivering. "I'm tired."

Feeling lush, grass under his feet, he realized they'd reached their destination- Central Park. Leo looked around. "Nothing bad's going on here."

_Not yet. But it will. You know it will._

Nodding in agreement, Leo looked up at the moon. It was that feeling in his gut he got. People called it paranoia with a dash of pessimism. Bad things happened all the time, and this one was going to be one of the worst.

_For you to use the power to its fullest, you must not over-exert it. Rest, young one. Rest, and listen to all you need to know._

Climbing up into a tree, Leo pulled his knees in closer to himself for warmth and leaned against it. "Okay."

In a matter of minutes, he was fast asleep, listening to the voice of the glowing, featurelss person who wasn't even there.

&&&&&

So you know, shadow manipulation isn't among the tricks of the power. I'm hiding it from you for awhile.

Another chapter done! Is it any good? I hope you liked! Please tell me!

And I should have another chapter up soon! Thanks!


	6. X97

See? Told ya I'd be back quick! I just, as with Pulse, actually have a set plot with this story and can't keep myself from writing it down!

So, how about I not bore you with silly author's comments, huh? Please enjoy the new chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, but you can bet your life that I'll be the first person in the state of Idaho to own a ticket stub to the next movie! Can't wait 'til March!

&&&&&

There's a sense of vice and erring instilled into the souls of each and every being on this planet. At least in those that base life on more than the bestial instincts that lies beneath the outer surface. Even many of those same animals understand that sense, but it's still all the more so prominent in those who can consciously make the decisions and understand all the consequences beyond them.

As Bishop's chopper flew over the vanishing landmarks beneath them, Michelangelo couldn't help but be torn, as they had been the last time they'd trusted Agent Bishop when they'd needed to save Don's life not so long ago.

Almost everything in his gut was telling him that this was wrong. The bad thing about making deals with the devil was that you knew he was always going to come and collect- you just didn't know what he wanted. Last time, it'd been stealing an artifact from the Foot. This time seemed simple enough… but there could always be more to it.

However, if they wanted to find Leo and help him, what choice did they have?

A government aircraft, the helicopter had the capability of going much faster than a normal one. Also, it seemed that their destination wasn't very far away; Bishop assured them it would take them no longer than twenty minutes.

Ten of those had already been spent in silence. The only other people on the plane, three of Bishop's men, couldn't stop staring at the three giant turtles before them, as had the two pilots before they'd gotten to work.

Through shaded lenses, the government agent looked over a few papers that had been lying on the seat next to him. The folder was marked CLASSIFIED. After sorting them, he handed one pile to Donatello and put the others back in the folder and on the seat.

"Because of the extremely odd nature of this… infection, it wasn't brought to our attention until just recently. It's mainly located in three areas- this part of Pennsylvania, some of New Jersey, and in New York, where it's quickly proven to be more of a threat. As I told you back in the city," Bishop said, gesturing at the papers; "four of my agents were infected by an alien disease."

Mikey looked over Don's shoulder, as did Raph from the opposite side. The first four pages each had a different person on it- Anna Coombs, Henry Jacobsen, Alexander Royal, and Owen Wheeler. Coombs, the only woman, had a red 'X' drawn over her picture.

Bishop went on. "Two, Wheeler and Royal, had breached protocol and were fired. Jacobsen worked alongside Wheeler and called in ill four days later. Coombs was romantically involved with Royal and didn't show up for work. We found her dead in her apartment a few days ago. Before leaving Pennsylvania, I was informed that they'd found Wheeler dead in an abandoned automobile in New Jersey. We don't know where the other two are, but it's clear that they've been moving. Have any of you run into one of them perhaps?"

Raph snorted. "We live in New York, Bishop. We run into all sorts of people- some of whom are even bigger freaks than us."

Bishop was silent for a moment, fixing Raph with his gaze. "Point made, Raphael." He looked out the window. "We'll be landing shortly. I'll have Doctor Stockman explain to you most of the details- by now, he should have more answers."

Forehead furrowing in thought, Mike tried to recall anyone strange they'd met. Soon, he gave up though. More than likely, Leo had been alone when he'd met whoever it was.

Besides, he was starting to get a light migraine. _Funny, I don't get those that often…_

Leafing through the papers, Don glanced at the government agent. "You better hope so."

&&&&&

Raph had to admit- Bishop's new base was well hidden. He wasn't even quite sure exactly what city they were in. After all, when you were a giant, walking, talking reptile, you didn't get out much.

After leading them to a secure part of the building, they waited in a room for Stockman. Though arrogant, the scientist didn't keep them impatient for long. In no less than two minutes, he was coming through the doors himself.

"Ah, Agent Bishop." Stockman greeted. He'd clearly grown far more accustomed to his latest body since they'd last met. Though it still resembled a mere skeleton wrapped in colorful wires, he moved easily enough. The doctor looked at the turtles. "And look who we have here. I've been informed of the situation. What a shame." He said sarcastically.

A low growl barely escaped his throat. "Stockman." He acknowledged. "Whatta ya know? For once, you're still in the same body we last saw you in."

Stockman's eye shifted as the three of them smiled. "Careful, terrapins. Your brother's life depends on me finding a cure, so I suggest you be nice."

Bishop cleared his throat. "Enough chit-chat. Doctor Stockman, why don't you tell us what we know right now about the infection." He looked at the turtles. "Then we'll prepare the three of you for testing and I'll send out a team to look for Leonardo."

Mikey glanced nervously at his brothers at the mention of 'testing', but they nodded in agreement.

"Very well." Stockman sighed. "Before your arrival, I was looking over five of the infected we were able to recover. One is Henry Jacobsen's wife and we retrieved the other four from here in Pennsylvania. Because of their unique… abilities, we're keeping them drugged so nothing goes awry."

Folding his arms, Don looked at him. "What kind of abilities are we dealing with here, then?"

"Well, we're not entirely sure of all of them." Stockman said. "As the infection spreads and the fever increases, it leaves the victim in a deeper state of delirium and thus harder to get information out of. But I can definitely tell you that all of the five senses are heightened and they also possess a type of sonar."

The red-clad ninja suddenly recalled asking Leo how he'd known Klunk had messed up his room.

"'_Cause I can see in the darkness…" _That had been his brother's answer.

"There are other side effects, too." The scientist continued. "For starters, the IQ levels of these people are unusually high. They don't even seem to understand it. Also, it leaves them extremely fatigued, with a shorter attention span, and a decreased level of short term memory."

Frowning, Raph looked down. There was no doubt that Leo had displayed all of that. "So he has this infection. Let's get to work then- Bishop said these people only have two weeks to live, right? My brother's already got three days down."

Stockman looked at Bishop. "You didn't tell them?"

Bishop straightened his tie, an annoying habit. "Symptoms of this Infection aren't immediate. They show up on the fifth day. However, the clock starts from the moment their infected. Therefore, your brother has _eight_ days down and six days to live."

&&&&&

They were being led to another room in the building, the one they were to be tested in. The tests were supposed to take quite some time- _hours_, ones they didn't want to waste.

On the way, Stockman blabbered on. Don took note of everything he said, but his mind was on something else.

_Six days?_ That comment had stricken them all like a hard slap to the face. _How are we going to find Leo in six days?_

Before leaving the last room, Stockman had explained that the degraded attention span and memory was probably what they had going for them. Because of it, caution was thrown to the wind, like how a child doesn't often comprehend the dangers of rushing into a bust street after a strayed soccer ball.

But that too was a bad thing, of course. It was obvious from the riot they'd witnessed beforehand that someone had seen Leo. If he got any worse, he could very well let the whole world know about them.

Massaging his skull, Don tuned back in to what Stockman was saying.

"…From the dissections I've performed on Owen Wheeler, I've been able to identify the hypothalamus of the brain as one of the primary targets of the infection. That region of the brain controls so many matters of bodily functions, I'm surprised there isn't more that's been effected."

Mike raised his head. "Like what?"

"Coordination in the internal organs, for one. Body temperature and memory as well. More interestingly, the expression of emotions- fear, anger, and pleasure in particular."

Bishop didn't even look at them. "Leonardo had been rather moody lately, I presume? That would be why."

Stockman seemed fascinated by the infection, excited as if he was receiving a Nobel Prize. "The mental reactions to this disease alone are stunning enough. Each of the living subjects we've interviewed display various disorders, all depending on their personality."

Don thought back to his lab back at home- how they'd found it completely rearranged. Everything similar was placed together in separate piles, lined up but disorderly, as if the only thing important had been sorting them… "Like OCD." He said.

Stockman looked at him but continued walking. "In some cases, yes. I've also found Antisocial behavior, Histrionics, Dependents, and ones with Bipolar."

"Was there anything the same in all of them?" Bishop asked.

"Oh yes." Stockman said, pausing when they reached a door. "Schizophrenia. Every one of them told us of a voice in their head that instructs them how to use 'the power'. Some even have descriptions of a physical manifestation of that voice, though each one varies."

"And we're sure that it's all figment?"

"Definitely." The doctor replied, sounding annoyed. "One tried to introduce me to this voice, since it seemed to be in the same room. There was nothing but open air."

Now the turtle was reminded of his phone conversation with his brother less than two hours ago. He'd mentioned someone… something about it saying he couldn't control his body temperature.

It was so strange to think about. Leo was the most controlled of the four of them, with the exception of what had followed after their final showdown with the Shredder. Dealing with him in this state was going to be hard.

Just imagining it was difficult enough.

He met his red-clad brother's eyes. Raph seemed to be sharing his thoughts in that subject, but said nothing, turning away before Don could see anymore. "So are we just gonna keep talking all day or are we going to get to work?"

The olive-green turtle watched one eye roll as Stockman began to open the door. "Patience, turtle. There's still so much more to go into- not that _you_ will comprehend much of it."

The room was filed with all sorts of medical equipment. One side of the room seemed to be designed like a morgue, and Donny had no doubt that Owen Wheeler's and Anna Coombs' bodies lay behind two of the eight drawers there.

Another side had a large window that revealed several other rooms. In some of them, a few people could be seen. They were sedated, some asleep and two conscious. Lit panels below the window showed their statistics.

"Now," Stockman began again, "from my studies, I've concluded that, at this point, there are _two_ ways for the infected to die. First, as in Wheeler's case, a sudden progressive and malignant brain tumor that develops within the final three days. The growth is amazing, starting no earlier than the twelfth day, if it even forms. The other option is suffocation."

Don glanced at some of the papers lying on a table on the autopsies that had been performed on the two cadavers. "Suffocation? I thought this mainly effects the mind."

"It does. But I've discovered it also has great impact on the lungs. Here," He said, pulling out a picture; "this is Anna Coombs' lungs. See what I mean?"

The three of them looked at the shot in revulsion. Mike even gagged. In no way was this a healthy pair of lungs. Bulging veins in the tissue were prominent, sickly green and oozing. The rest of the organ was the color of a dark bruise and serious scar tissue was visible.

The doctor gestured at the subjects in the windows. "Three of them have already complained of chest and breathing problems. Coombs' had a clean bill of health prior to this. I don't exactly know what to call it."

Mikey groaned. "We gotta fix this." He looked at his brothers. "We can't let all these people die. We can't let _Leo_ die."

Raph placed a hand on their little brother's shoulder. "We ain't going to, Mike." He turned to Stockman. "So what are you waiting for, let's get to work."

&&&&&

When Leo woke up, he wondered if he was in hell. But it couldn't be, he decided, for hell wouldn't be so cold. But all of the police cars and blood that could be seen in the nearby streets made him wonder if they'd gotten that fact wrong.

He couldn't quite remember how he'd gotten into the tree he was in. He was in a park, but he couldn't recall the name. He wanted to go home… but wasn't sure if he knew where it was. There were people there, the turtle was sure, ones he loved deeply- he could see them so clearly… but what were their names? It was on the tip of his tongue…

Did names even matter? His seemed vague now too… all he could recall was a painter.

Shrugging, he climbed out of the tree. The names would come to him later, he was sure.

Besides, there was much to focus on. There was so much he could do with the power.

Frowning, Leo hesitated before going out in the street. Part of him didn't want to move. The shadows were his friends, but daylight was dangerous. That confused him. How could something so warm be a threat?

Taking a risk, he crossed the street. He was pleased when the police officers, busy with their work, didn't notice them.

On a sidewalk now, he saw a teenage boy sitting on a bench. The teen had a strange smell about him, one that was pleasant but hazardous at the same time. Slowly, Leo recognized the scent as that of some type of drug.

The kid looked up. "Dude, what the hell are you?" He asked. "Uhh… must be trippin', man."

"What's going on?" Leo asked him.

"Some freaks." The kid answered. "Sick or somethin'. They do cool stuff though. Thought I was trippin' then, but I guess I'm just now. Probably went nuts over the shithead math teachers. Those people are assholes." He said.

Leo shook his head. He didn't think that was quite fair. Teachers were there to instruct. Some were better than others, but that was going to extremes.

The teen popped his neck. "What the hell's the square root of 1024, anyways?"

"Thirty-two." The answer left Leo's mouth before he could even think about it.

"Ya serious?"

"Uh-huh." At least, he was pretty sure he was. It was one of the few things he _was _sure of. And he actually didn't recall being that good at math.

"Wanna do the rest of my homework?"

Leo shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" He had nothing else to do. The voice was quiet now.

He finished the paper in six minutes, playing with all of his abilities at the same time.

_Leave._ The voice returned suddenly.

Leo looked up. "What?"

The teen looked over the paper. "I didn't say nothin'."

But the turtle hadn't been talking to him.

_Leave._ The voice repeated. _Your sonar, you're tapping into it. Can't you see it's picking up something strange?_

Focusing the sonar, he felt around. And then he found it. The police officers, they were moving slowly in his direction. Their fingers were in their jackets, fingering their guns. The chambers were full.

"They wanna hurt me." Leo mumbled. "I gotta go." He told the kid.

The boy nodded; didn't seem to care. As Leo got up, he heard the officers shout, "Stop! Police!"

Ignoring them, Leo tapped into the power and moved as fast as he could. The people he left behind in his wake stopped dead in their tracks, mouths agape.

&&&&&

Groaning, Mikey eased himself into a sitting position. He'd been poked and prodded, exerted and exposed for the past six hours and the miniature bruises were now visible.

Night had switched to day and the minute hand on Leo's biological clock seemed to be making faster revolutions in his mind. But this was supposed to help.

Stockman came back into the room. He'd left to perform a biopsy on Owen Wheeler. "Well, my testing has proven to be a major success. Not only can I tell you if you've contracted the disease, I can now pinpoint _exactly_ how far along it's progressed. Now, let's have a look." He flipped open the papers on their results. "Raphael, you have the infection, but only for about twenty-four hours, it seems. Michelangelo, however, you seem to be reaching the threshold of your fourth day. Have you experienced any headaches? It's the first symptom and tends to show up about this time."

Worry knotted in the orange-clad turtle's gut. "Yeah. Just before we left New York."

Stockman nodded. "We'll have to proceed with more testing immediately. We'll start with my first try at a cure- I've performed it on some of the other subjects; there's no side effects." He turned to Donatello. "However, if that doesn't work, I have another method in mind. Donatello… you're not infected at all."

His brother raised an eye ridge. "How's that possible? I came into physical contact with Leo several times yesterday."

"I believe it may have something to do with the cure we gave you for the mutant outbreak… we'll have to wait and see."

A man in a lab coat cracked open the door. "Excuse me, Doctor Stockman."

"What?" The scientist asked, annoyed.

"I'm sorry, sir. Just wanted to inform you that we still haven't been able to get any information out of Subject X97."

Stockman sighed. "Thank you. You're dismissed."

Raph stood up. "Who's Subject X97?"

"The alien specimen who's the cause of all of this. It spoke with Royal a lot- I still don't understand how that man was able to understand it. Wretched thing."

Don stood as well. "You don't need me for awhile. Can I talk to him?"

Pausing, Stockman finally walked over to that dreaded cabinet. Mikey rolled his eyes seeing the needles.

"If you wish." The doctor said.

&&&&&

The section Bishop had taken him to was, in some places, nowhere near as clean looking as the rest of the base, and in others, even more so. While the previous rooms were as gleaming as polished steel, these hallways had a vile orange tint to it. Some of the other rooms it led to, on the other hand though, were blindingly white, as if someone had gotten carried away with _WalMart's_ entire shipment of toothpaste.

Don was taken to the door of such a white room. The small, bulletproof window in the entry was his only clue, though.

"We'll come to collect you when Doctor Stockman needs that blood sample. It may prove very useful." Bishop informed him. "However, it's only fair for you to know that this creature can be stubborn- as Stockman told you, he spoke only to Royal and we have no idea how he understood him. Your attempt is admirable, but pointless."

Nodding, Donny looked away. "Like you said, I'll see you when you need that blood sample."

Pushing his glasses further up his nose, Agent Bishop turned to the armed man standing guard at the door. "Notify me immediately if anything goes wrong."

The man nodded and opened the door for the turtle. Going in, Don pressed it gently shut behind him and looked for the alien. He found him at the far end of the white room.

X97 looked much like the picturesque alien; large head with big, dark almond-shaped eyes, thin and bony arms and legs. The only difference was that, instead of green, his skin was a mottled gray-brown. He also had two large fin-like objects that sprung from his back and wrapped around just over his rib cage.

Carefully, Don approached him. "Hi." He greeted lamely, pausing as he watched the alien acknowledge his presence with a blink. "My name is Donatello." Sitting down in front of X97, the turtle folded his hands in his lap. "Listen, I- I need your help."

Though the alien didn't answer, he did keep his eyes on him, which Don took to be a good sign. At least, he hoped it was.

"They don't treat you well here, do you?" He asked.

Slowly, X97 shook his head.

Donny's face brightened. The alien _understood_ him. This wasn't going to be half as hard as Bishop had made it sound like. Perhaps Royal had been the only one kind to him… "I'm sorry. You see, I'm not exactly friends with Agent Bishop either. He'd like to do all kinds of horrible things to my family… In fact, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't so important. I'm sure you know about that disease you spread, right?"

The alien nodded, looking somewhat sadder.

"Well, my father and three brothers were infected with it, one of them in particular. We don't know where he is and he could die in a matter of days." Don looked at X97 imploringly. "Please, if you know anything at all, tell me. We love him very much and…" His voice cracked slightly; "My family is just about all I have in this world. We can't lose him."

Silent for a long while, the alien finally sighed. Don had no idea how they were going to communicate, but then the creature quickly made it clear. "I never meant to cause so much pain." It said softly.

Jaw dropping an inch, Don leaned back. He hadn't been expecting for the alien to be able to speak English- he'd learned from Bishop that very few of the species they kept here were capable of that.

X97 continued, voice as proper as any American, though a bit nasal. "On my world, this infection, as you call it, is nothing more than what you humans would consider a common cold. I've heard from Bishop's men that many have died… I wasn't aware how fragile you humans are. I didn't infect Alex intentionally, he was my friend. But… by now, he must be dead."

Shaking his head, Don scooted in a little closer. "I'm sorry. No one deserves to be treated like this."

As he nodded, the alien looked up. "The voice, the instructor of the power- it's not real." He said, changing the subject.

Recalling that that was what the infected called their gifts, Don listened intently. "Schizophrenia. I was hoping it wasn't true."

"I'm sorry to disappoint. The voice is another half of the self, the unconscious part that understands all. They are coexisting and that affects the person you know- they become confused and thus focus on the one thing they both understand."

"The power."

"Yes." X97 stated. "Now, your brother, how far has the infection progressed in him?"

"According to Stockman? Eight days. He's developed some mental disorders, as well as the heightened senses and the sonar."

X97 looked back down, surprised. "That's all? Oh, he should definitely have reached the next phase by now. But I'm not sure what your word for it would be…"

Don felt a sense of dread growing in him. "What do you mean?"

With his long, brown fingers, X97 grabbed his hand. "There is more to the power than you know."

&&&&&

He'd gotten away. Thanks to the power, he'd gotten away.

Scared, he breathed heavily, sitting cross-legged on a rooftop, looking up at the sky. The air was cool but the sun was warm. The turtle let its rays strike his face, warming him, eyes closed.

_Raph. _The names flowed to him. _Mikey. Don. Splinter._

Opening his eyes, the ninja grinned. He knew that within time he'd remember.

But where were they? He needed them- they could get hurt and he'd never forgive himself. Where were they?

His name was Leo. But that didn't matter much when there was no one to call him by that.

Alone and afraid, he bowed his head and cried.

Five minutes later, his tears were dry and he had no memory of that action. All he knew was that he needed to find his family, wherever they were.

&&&&&

Now that was a nice, long chapter! And though a little suspenseful, I hope it was also illuminating.

For anyone who'd like to know, Mikey was infected in the second chapter, after the IQ tests part, when he clapped Leo on the back. Two days later, Raph was infected when he caught Leo after he collapsed and Splinter by touching him during that same time period. The only thing that saved them from an earlier infection was that Leo had that blanket around him most of the time.

And speaking of Splinter, never fear! He'll be in the next chappie!

So, did you like? If so, please review!


	7. What More?

How fitting. I come to you ill- _writing_ a story about an disease that kills!

Think this is a warning or something? Should I be cowering in fear?

Anyways, here is the new chapter- as promised! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I just entered an art contest where the prize is a TMNT comic book (Volume 1, baby!) signed by Peter Laird. It's not ownership of the TMNT, but it's a step up the ladder.

&&&&&

_More?_ Donny stared at the alien being in shock. _What more _exactly_ are we dealing with here?_

He thought back to the room with the sedated members of the infected. Stockman had, at one point, he believed, mentioned it was because they didn't want any of their more dangerous abilities to get out of hand.

What was so immediately dangerous about heightened senses? Or a sonar, for that matter? Especially when they were in an enclosed room?

_They know._ He realized. _They know what other powers they have._

Leaning forward, Don looked X97 in the eye. "Can you describe it?"

The alien's mouth parted, but quickly closed again, eyes shifting to look beyond the turtle. Turning around, Don found that the door to the white room had opened, revealing the guard with one foot in the entrance. "Stockman's called for you. He wants that blood sample. Another agent is here to escort you back."

"But I-"

"You what?" The guard laughed. "You were making progress? _Please_."

Shaking his head, Don got to his feet and turned to the alien, who looked at him apologetically. "Can I come back later?" He asked the guard.

"Probably, but you'll have to take it up with Agent Bishop."

Don smiled at X97. There was no need to apologize. He could see why the alien kept his mouth shut. He may have been an alien to this planet, but why would he have any reason to reveal his soul to the creatures that dominated him?

With no remorse for the way they treated their _subjects_, they were so obviously aliens themselves.

&&&&&

When he wasn't watching Stockman's every move as the doctor worked on his brother, Raphael could be found occasionally glancing down at his hands.

He couldn't get the mental picture of Anna Coombs' lungs out of his head- the colors, the fluids seeping out of the bulging veins…

_Is that's what's happening to me right now? _He wondered. _Just by touching Leo, is this infection already workin' away at my insides? _

He didn't even want to think what might be happening inside his elder brother right now.

It had only been barely more than a day since the red-clad turtle had become a carrier. Since discovering that fact, he was careful with who he touched. Even though Mikey was already infected, and though he seriously doubted that he could make it any worse, Raph kept his hands to himself.

Raph recalled how strange his sibling had been acting the last time he'd seen him. _Am I goin' crazy too?_ Leo had been one of the most sane people he knew, and it made him wonder how fast the disease would bring down those who were a little more maniacal than most. Though he wasn't insane, he _was_ already leant a little more towards the personality issues than his brothers. He wondered how far off the deep end he could go.

When Don entered the room, Raph stood and placed his hands behind his shell. Mikey looked up from the bandage that was over his arm, covering one of the points where a needle had been stuck in him. "Hey, bro." He greeted.

Donny raised his hand in a semi-wave. Walking over to them, he seemed to ignore Stockman. "Hey. Any better?"

Mike snorted. "Considering I didn't even _know_ I was sick earlier, I'm gonna say I feel worse."

Nodding, smiling reassuringly, Don shifted his attention to the window. His eyes narrowed in thought before he turned to Raph. "Weren't there five people in there?" He asked, referring to the rooms on the other side.

"Yes, there _were._" Stockman explained. "While you were gone, Jacobsen's wife died. She was comatose when she passed. Another interesting fact I've noticed about the infected- on the day of their death, they fall into a coma. It lasts anywhere between four to nine hours before death strikes."

The purple-banded turtle looked at the scientist. "Why didn't you do anything to help her?"

"What do you _think_ I've been doing? But for your information, she was the least of my worries. We don't even _know_ how many people are infected, terrapin. My job is to find a cure for that immeasurable group- not to go around saving each and every one of them."

Shaking his head, Don looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't. Raph wasn't used to seeing his brother so upset; he almost placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him… but thought better of it.

Who was to say Don couldn't get infected? And how did he know that he himself couldn't start spreading the disease until four days from now?

"So," Don began, "since I'm here for that blood sample, I'm guessing your first idea didn't work, then?"

"No." Stockman said, a bit sheepishly. "I tried it on Michelangelo here, as well as two of the other subjects. It was about as effective as water."

Sighing, the ninja sat down. "Okay, then."

Preparing another needle, Stockman stuck it into Donny's olive-green skin and took the blood sample he needed. "Thank you." The scientist said. "I'm going to run this down to the lab and analyze it. I'll be back soon." He said. "Oh, and don't try anything. There's several agents waiting in the corridor outside."

Raph smirked sarcastically. "Thanks for your overwhelming trust."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it."

When the doctor was gone, Don turned to them. "I got the alien to talk to me." He said.

Raph looked at him, suddenly interested. "Really? It thought Bishop said he only talked to that Royal guy."

"Yeah," Mike piped in; "and that over half of the aliens they got here can't even speak English."

Don nodded. "I know. But he spoke to me. He struck me as a very intelligent being- and I think he's been here for a while too. I mean, depending on how long, after listening to conversations from the people watching over him, he could've picked up the language. But he didn't get all of it, unfortunately."

Detecting a certain tone in his brother's voice, Raph looked at him. "What do you mean, bro?"

"He said there was more to the power than we knew- another stage." Donny explained. "And the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I mean, look at these people." He gestured to the window. "They may be crazy and have a contagious disease that has a high mortality rate, but the abilities Stockman described aren't powerful enough to be of a threat."

Mike quickly caught on to what Don was getting at just as Raph did. "They know what it is."

"I think so." Their brother said, nodding. "And they're trying to hide it- but they know they can't. After what we saw in New York, it's only a matter of time. I mean, the whole world's already clued into the infection, by now. They're going to figure it out pretty quick."

Looking up, in a corner, Raph noticed a small television set. "Well, if the world knows," he said, "then you know it's gonna be on the tube."

Marching over to the screen, he got on his tiptoes and turned the set on. Frowning, he began flipping channels, looking for a clue.

_-In a stunning riot last night, a mysterious infection has been uncovered that has led to the evacuation of New York-_

Raph turned to his brothers. "Looks like you were on target, bro." He continued changing the channels.

­_-an outbreak in New York is being connected to that of the one we've been following in Pennsylvania and New Jersey-_

_-we've been informed that evacuees are to be placed in quarantine-_

_-there's been reports of strange abilities from the infected-_

"Wait!" Mike shouted. "Stop there!"

A blonde reporter was on screen, wearing black leather gloves and a blue jacket, smiling in a hospital. _"I'm here with Doctor Mills of St. Luke's. Doctor, can you confirm these abilities?"_

Doctor Mills was graying, with kind blue eyes. He looked nervous. _"Yes, Miss Stone, I think I can. If you could direct your camera here…" _He gestured to a windowed room behind him; _"you'll see Carmen Gregory. She's five years old, and was brought here by her mother yesterday when learned that she was of the infected. It's with her permission that I show you this. First, I was looking for basic medical symptoms- mental disorders and fatigue is mainly what I found." _He swallowed_. "However… there was more."_

"_More? Can you describe, please, Doctor?"_

He nodded. _"Yes. Well, Carmen has heightened senses, to degrees normal humans can't comprehend. She also is able to pinpoint people and items beyond her line of sight- like she could tell me how may patients are waiting in the lobby, for example."_

The reporter looked stunned. _"That… that is amazing."_

"_But it's not all. Bring your cameraman a little closer and you'll see."_

Sure enough, the man brought the camera closer to the glass. The little girl in the room was a cute blonde in a hospital gown. She was sitting at a small table, a large stuffed bear opposite of her. A tea set sat between them.

"_-Mr. Bear." _Carmen said, voice muffled by the glass. _"Would you like more tea?"_

The little girl stared at the tea set, in deep concentration, shoulder's tensing. And then, to everyone's astonishment, the plastic teapot was lifted into the air and across the short table, as if someone was holding it. The pot dipped next to 'Mr. Bear's' cup, as if it was pouring tea into it.

Everything was silent; the previously talkative reporter appeared speechless. Meanwhile, the three turtles stared at the screen in awe.

If a five-year-old could do that, what could Leo do?

The pot righted itself and made it back to the center of the table. Immediately, the girl relaxed. _"Careful, don't spill."_

&&&&&

Hungry. His stomach growled. Leo was suddenly ravenously hungry- felt as if he hadn't eaten in days. Little did he know that that was the hard truth.

But he wanted to find his family. He knew they had to be out there, somewhere. He needed to find them.

But oh, how he needed to eat, too.

Eyes glazing over, he focused all of his attention to his sonar. Police cars were all over the place below him, officers marching in pairs up to doors and speaking to people- racing after others.

Deciding he'd figure out what that all meant later, and help, if he could, Leo ignored it for the time being and searched for any food that was lying out in the open.

All of the street venders that once roamed the city were gone. Doors of other places were locked.

And then, he found something. A bag inside a cop car. Within it was two boxes- one half full of french fries and the other with what seemed to be chicken strips. Enhancing his sense of smell, he sniffed the air. Yes, chicken.

Tapping into the greatest aspect of the power, he pushed the button that would lower on of the windows in the car as he lifted the bag into the air, pushing it out and moving it towards him.

No cops seemed to notice. That was good.

Soon, the bag was on to his rooftop and floating into his hands. Reducing his sonar, Leo increased his sense of taste and grabbed a couple of golden fries. They were crisp and delicious. The chicken came next- so tender and delightful to his palette.

Before too long, Leo was full. There was still one strip of chicken and a handful of fries left, however. Not wanting to waste anything, and starting to feel guilty over taking the food in the first place, he searched for the police vehicle he'd taken it from. It was still there.

Placing everything back in the bag, he quickly carried it back through the window he'd opened and rolled the glass panel back up.

Stomach full, he wrapped his arms around himself. The warmth of the rations had made him realize just how much colder it was. The morning chill seeped into his bones and the glorious sun, in the mid-western sky, could do little about it.

Frowning, the blue-clad turtle yawned. He was so tired.

_Supposed to find my brothers… _He thought. _Should find them now._

But with the power, he could find them so much faster, couldn't he? And what would he accomplish if he was exhausted?

Yes, a nap was an order.

Squeezing his body as tightly together as it would go, trying to keep warm, he was asleep in seconds.

There was a monster in his dreams. One he didn't understand. It just kept trying to hurt him…

By the time he woke up, it was forgotten. Sweating, freezing, Leo looked around. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten on the roof, and he didn't know why.

Maybe he'd remember if he slept on it…

&&&&&

The situation was quickly spinning out of control.

Agent Bishop frowned at the ten monitors before him before walking out of that room and into the corridors. The whole world knew about the infection now. Their theories of how it had spread were numerous and far off target, of course, but they were aware of it.

He had no idea what the death toll was. It would be nearly impossible to count considering how far spread it was. But eventually, he and everyone else would have a rough estimate. And if the President followed the trail of bread crumbs back to him with that number in mind…

He walked into the room where the three terrapins were. The first thing he noticed was the television that was on in there.

_Great. So they know as well._

Raphael turned and glared at him. "Were you plannin' on tellin' us about this? Or were you gonna wait until we found our brother and noticed all the stuff flying around the room?"

Brushing a light piece of lint off of his jacket, Bishop moved amongst them. "Actually, my plan was to never let you know of that ability so you could never use it against me, but you're close enough, I suppose." _Just like you were never going to tell me how you got X97 to talk._

"Tempting as that is, Bishop," Raph snarled, "if it means a dead brother, we ain't gonna do it."

"Yes, your family ties do run deep. But I didn't want to take any chances. However, now that you do know, it's time that we lay down the ground rules."

Wincing at a headache he was surely developing, Michelangelo looked up at him. "And those would be…?"

"For starters, I'd like to inform you that Doctor Stockman has notified me that the blood sample he took from Donatello had proven to be very useful. Apparently, the cure used in the mutant outbreak we had had an interesting side effect. It greatly increased the mutated creatures' white blood cell count." He said, referring to the colorless cells that travel within a body, fighting off germs and bacteria.

"That's why I didn't get infected." Don interrupted, catching on quickly. "The white blood cells were able to fight it off."

"Precisely. However, because this is an entirely different situation, we can't administer that cure. But Doctor Stockman is already developing a new one that will have the same effect. It should be done within the next forty-eight hours, giving your beloved elder brother plenty of time to live, if he can be found."

Raph folded his arms over his plastron. "Okay, so we know you ain't here for the good news. What else?"

"During this time, you and Michelangelo will be kept here. The new cure may have to be administered in different doses depending on what stage each person is in, and you're two of our guinea pigs. I also want Splinter and Leatherhead here."

"What do ya want them for?" Raph exploded.

"Calm down, Raph." Don said. "Master Splinter is infected, too. The closer he is to the cure, the better." He turned to Bishop. "And I assume you want Leatherhead to help, don't you?"

The government agent grinned. "Your genius never ceases to amaze, Donatello. Stockman isn't happy about it, of course, but his level of joy is of no concern to me."

The orange-banded turtle piped up again. "And what about Don?" He asked.

"Your brother will be going back to New York to look for your brother sometime tomorrow. Since he cannot become infected, he's an ideal candidate- and Leonardo probably won't cooperate with anyone he doesn't recognize. Family stands a higher chance than my men."

The three turtles looked him over carefully. Donny scratched his elbow. "You're being unusually… generous, Bishop."

Pushing his sunglasses farther up the bridge of his nose, the man smiled. "I can ill afford for anything more to go wrong. Why exhaust my men on your brother when they can catch so many more of the infected and you can get the job done yourself?"

That said, he left, in a rush to get everything in order. There was much to get underway and oversee.

And of course, there was Leonardo. There was a greater reason why he was having Donatello look for the blue-clad turtle.

Whilst examining the blood samples of Donatello and Michelangelo for a cure, Stockman has stumbled upon something else involving the infection. A strange reaction to the mutagen in their DNA and the make-up of the disease had caused a side effect in itself.

The abilities that the infected developed were stronger in Leonardo and would be the same in his brothers. Getting him away from the public and back here for observation had just risen higher on Agent Bishop's to-do-list.

&&&&&

His sons had been gone for far too long. Master Splinter frowned; he did not like this.

He could sense them through the astral plane, however, and that gave him reassurance. The old rat did not disturb them, they seemed busy- no doubt trying to find their brother.

That _did_ worry him. He had so hoped that Leonardo would've been found by now.

Likewise, Splinter had tried searching for his eldest through the astral plane. A thread of Leonardo was all he was able to find. If he held onto it, Splinter was overcome by a tidal wave of cascading emotions- such fear at times, blinding pleasure at others. He suspected that last one had something to do with why he could not contact the ninja.

Eventually, it became so overwhelming that he had to let go of the string.

A ringing sound shook the master from his thoughts. Blinking, he began to search his pockets for the cellular device that Donatello had made.

Once he'd figured out how to answer it, he was relieved to hear his purple-banded son's voice on the other end. _"Master Splinter? I'm sorry it took us so long to call you." _The boy sighed. _"But I'm afraid what I have to say isn't going to be good."_

And indeed it wasn't. Splinter massaged his skull upon hearing of another reluctant team-up with Agent Bishop. But the grave situation his family was now in unfortunately made it necessary.

"Very well, Donatello." He said grudgingly. "Will you be needing my help to find your brother?"

"_Actually, Sensei… Bishop wants you here. Since you're infected, he probably wants to run some tests on you. He wants Leatherhead, too- to help with the cure. A chopper is supposed to be coming tomorrow."_

The rat grit his teeth. The audacity of the man! To call him away to be picked and prodded at when one of his sons was at risk of dying. "But surely you aren't thinking of searching the entire city for him on your own."

"_I don't have much of a choice, Master. I'd ask April and Casey, but I won't risk them getting infected either- if they aren't already."_

Splinter sighed. "My son… I wish there was another way to go about this."

"_Me too. But I haven't found one yet."_

"Very well. I will contact Leatherhead and await for the chopper."

"_Oh, Sensei?"_

"Yes, Donatello?"

"_I _do_ have a bit of a back-up plan, if Bishop doesn't follow our deal. After what happened last time, Leatherhead and I have done a bit of digging on him. Mostly, we just gathered evidence of the outbreak- enough to put him away or at least get him fired if it got out. Have LH send April it and then print out a hard copy, okay?"_

Nodding, Splinter began to stand. "Yes, my son. And do take care."

"_You too."_

Sighing again, Splinter closed the Shell Cell and walked over to the dojo, getting into the lotus position on the floor. Once more, he found the thread, and once more he couldn't get a hold of his son.

With the knowledge Donatello had provided him, Splinter could now feel the insanity that was slowly moving throughout Leonardo. This disease would kill him in a matter of days.

Letting go of the thread, he stood. Once more convinced that he had no other choice, he began the journey to Leatherhead's home.

&&&&&

When Leo awoke again, the stars were blinking friendlily in the nighttime sky. As happy as they were, the turtle found himself freezing.

He felt that he was supposed to be looking for something but couldn't remember what. A small tingling sensation at the back of his head made him wonder if the voice was about to speak, but it didn't, so he ignored it.

Perhaps walking would get rid of the cold. And maybe he'd find that thing he was looking for.

Grinning, Leo walked over to the edge of the roof and jumped into an alley. A quarter of the way down, he used the power to slow himself down until he landed gracefully on his feet.

He walked into the street and frowned. There was nothing but cop cars.

Well, there were a few other things. Lots of broken stuff, a few unconscious people being loaded into ambulances. When a wheel on a gurney broke, he found the screw and quickly fixed it.

It was amazing to be able to use the power. He vaguely remembered life without his new abilities: never knowing what was around the corner, being helpless at times.

That was different now. He liked it.

There were people on the other side. Leo kept walking, though a bit slower. Part of him felt that he should avoid them, but he didn't know why. The other side of him didn't feel that way- it felt that he should be able to walk freely among them.

Before he could decide, he was around the corner. There was a police officer talking to a woman with two young boys. "M'am, I know you're runnin' a business, but it's too dangerous for you to be here right now. There's a disease going on around these and you'll need to be put into quarantine along with everyone else."

"Sir," She argued, "the only thing keeping my family going is this business. I can't afford to miss a day of work- I have my boys to take care of."

"Well no one is gonna be comin'-" He cut off, noticing Leo. The officer's eyes widened. "What the hell are you?"

"Hush your mouth!" The woman said, holding her hands over her boys ears. She looked at Leo and a small wave of fear passed over her, but she stood her ground. "I don't care if he's Satan himself, you will _not_ speak like that in front of my children."

"Be quiet, m'am!" The officer drew his gun, pointing it at the ninja. "You! Put your hands up and kneel!"

Leo was frozen at first, then he narrowed his eyes. This guy didn't have the right to tell him to do that. He looked at the woman and her boys. How rude was he? Telling her to leave her own home? "No."

"Do it now!"

He shook his head. "No. Why should I? I didn't do anything wrong."

"Now, or I'm gonna start firing!"

The woman looked aghast. "Not in front of my boys, you're not!"

The officer was losing his cool. He turned to the woman, bright red. "Shut up, you bitch!" He yelled, gun in her face.

That was the last straw. Before he even knew it, Leo had loosened all of the bolts holding together the metal top just outside the doorway. Dripping wet, the top swung at the officer, hitting him square in the chest and pushing him back twenty feet. He hit the ground unconscious.

The boys cheered, but their mother looked at him, eyes wide. Leo back up, filled with fear. "I-I didn't mean to do that." He said. "It was an accident- he was yelling at you and he… he wanted to hurt me." Leo looked at the ground. "Why do they want to hurt me?"

She looked at him sadly. "You're a strange sight. People don't always like things that are different." Holding her boys tight, she pulled her damp hair out of her face. "Thank you… but you should go."

Nodding, Leo looked down and began to back up. He ran in the opposite direction, until he came to a tall tree next to a swimming pool. Sadly, he looked down into the water.

It was a mistake, really, it was. But if the officer had shot him… it wouldn't have been.

"Why do people want to hurt me?" He asked his reflection.

&&&&&

Mikey's head hurt so bad- like a giant buzzing beneath his skull, causing his brain to boil beneath it.

That was supposed to be the first stage. Stockman was so good at reassuring his patients.

He recalled seeing the little blonde girl moving the teapot. Telekinesis. Mikey had to admit, that _was_ pretty cool.

_No. _He criticized himself. _Bad. Telekinesis bad. If it means killing you, anyways._

Oddly enough, despite that fact, Mike was finding himself at ease with the infection. Maybe those mental illnesses started early.

Raph and Don were talking in the corner. It was strange, all of sudden, Mike thought he could hear snippets of their conversation, footsteps, beeping sounds…

&&&&&

Okay, with that last part, no Mikey isn't starting the voices early. He's just finished his fourth day, which, along with the fifth, is the day of headaches and random bits of sound. At the end of the fifth, his enhanced senses will develop.

And yes, Carmen, the little girl with the teapot, was the child from the first chapter that Alexander Royal infected.

(piles up mounds of research) Welcome to my mess! Here we have stuff on hearing, here we have stuff on smelling! Got stuff on mental disorders and the hypothalamus over here, breathing disorders over there. Here's some on delirium, here's others on white blood cells. Got telekinesis and advanced sonars, too. Probably missing something.

Needless to say, I've never been so dedicated to a story, so please tell me you liked it!


	8. Bite the Bullet

(waves) Hi guys! I'm back!

So, anybody interested in reading more Infection? I hope so! 'Cause I wrote up another chapter for you!

Here ya go! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I still do not own the TMNT. I offered to trade! …But Eastman and Laird just don't seem to want my old Tamagatchi.

&&&&&

Leo didn't recall having gone to sleep, but, though the last thing he remembered was the police officer who'd wanted to hurt him in the cloudy weather, he woke up to a starry sky.

Shivering, he sat up and pulled his knees to his chest, looking around. The blue-clad turtle was by a public pool, closed for the night. The protective tarp that covered it had been ripped off and thrown over the chain-link fence, by himself, no doubt. Dead leaves blown by the evening wind were floating in the pool like miniature lawn chairs. Vaguely, he thought he remembered walking to this place, fear swelling in his chest as he stood.

Just thinking of it brought back the blurry memories of the officer. Leo was sure the man had wanted to hurt him… he just couldn't understand why.

Scratching his head, he examined the sky. Something didn't feel right in his gut; something was wrong.

A soft _click_ resonated in his ears like a car accident.

His sonar picked up who was behind him long before he saw them. Twelve police officers behind the gate he'd jumped; there were four cars.

A lot of guns. And they were all aimed at him.

&&&&&

The first thing Raph noticed when he woke up with a sore neck that morning was that it was about five o'clock in the morning. The second was that Mikey was no longer in the room.

Immediately to his feet, he scanned the chamber, hoping he was wrong. "Mike?" He hissed. "Bro? Where the hell are you?"

"They took him." Don's voice spoke to him, very sullen.

Raph spun around to look at his brother. "What?"

Donny was sitting on the cot Bishop had provided for him; the other two were empty now. "In the middle of the night, he woke me up, complaining about his headache… and noises that I couldn't hear, scents I couldn't smell, things I couldn't see…" Looking up at the red-banded turtle, he got back on subject. "I think they're monitoring us now. Not too long after that, Stockman and a few agents came in." He pointed with his thumb to the window. "They wanted to put him in there."

Walking over to the window, Raph looked into it. But to his surprise, Mikey wasn't there either. "You talked them out of it?"

Don got up and grinned at him. "Yeah. I mean, he wasn't hearing any voices- that shouldn't happen until tonight."

Nodding, the turtle suddenly narrowed his eyes. "So where'd they take him?"

Sighing, Don looked at the other members of the infected. "A room just down the hall. It's guarded, but we can go see him. They're taking a million precautions. He can infect people now, Raph."

Feeling rage boil beneath him, Raph went back to his cot, only to kick it. "How the _hell_ did I sleep through that?" He yelled.

"Didn't think you'd remember. They sedated you pretty quick."

Jaw dropping a little, he recalled his sore neck. Gently fingering it, he looked at his reflection in the window. It didn't take long to find a little bruise.

Raph growled. "I'm gonna kill those guys."

Don tried to smile. "Thought you'd say that. But can you wait until after they've gotten all of our family cured?"

Grinning darkly, the ill-tempered turtle took out a sai and balanced it on one finger. "Never was very patient. But I guess I can manage. Wanna go see Mike?"

Nodding, Donny walked over to the door. "Been waiting on you."

&&&&&

The sounds had stopped now, but the headache continued to progress. Sighing, Mikey wiggled his toes, sitting upright on the new cot that had been given to him in the sterile, all too-white room.

According to the timeline he and his brothers had been provided, the orange-clad turtle only had about fifteen hours of sanity left, give or take a few. He didn't know what he'd be doing with his nine days of supreme power, but he had a feeling that a great portion of it would be spent under sedation in that windowed room.

And the rest would be spent moving a step up the ladder from guinea pig to one of several little white lab mice that scientists had such fun experimenting on.

The door opened, taking him by surprise. In came Donny, then Raph, smiling reassuringly at him. The agent guarding the door looked nervous. "You have five minutes." He said, before quickly shutting the door.

Raphael glared at the door before making his way over to his youngest brother. "Jackass." He muttered.

Despite the imaginary nail that was being hammered methodically into his skull, Mike grinned at them. "Hey, Raph, is that anyway to greet a sick brother?"

"Wasn't talkin' about you, Mike. Not this time, anyway." Raph said. At his side, he rubbed his sibling's shoulder. "How ya feelin'?"

_Like Shredder decided to order himself a limited edition Michelangelo punching bag. _"I'm okay."

Don looked him over with a doctor's attention. "You look like you haven't gotten a wink of sleep."

Mikey shrugged. "Just this stupid headache…"

Glancing up at Raph, the turtle in purple frowned. "Mikey, can you tell me what pi times forty-seven equals?"

"One hundred and forty-seven point fifty-eight." He answered immediately. Frowning, he blinked. "Dude, did I just say that?"

Nodding sadly, Don looked at the floor. "I mean, we _knew_ you were infected… we were just…"

"Kinda hopin' Stockman's little test was a flop." Raph finished for him.

After a long pause, Mikey tried to lighten up the mood a little. "Hey, maybe now I could take those IQ tests by myself, huh?"

Before anyone could answer, the door burst open, revealing Agent Bishop, Stockman, and four armed personnel. "There you are." Bishop said. "Donatello-you'll be leaving earlier than expected."

"What?" Don asked, a surprised look on his face. "Why?"

Not that they'd _known_ when the helicopter would be leaving for New York, but still, they'd been expecting a little more time.

Two of the men wheeled in a large television and plugged it in. Bishop looked at him through his shaded lenses. "This is why."

The screen was flipped on. It was already set to the channel Bishop wanted them to see. The view was from above ground, a bright spotlight being shone down to what the cameraman wanted them to see.

The area was New York- Mikey recognized it. It was a popular swimming pool. But right now, in the early hours of the morning when it was still dark out, it was surrounded by police units.

And smack dab in the middle was Leo.

&&&&&

There was fear in him. Leo didn't understand why these people were attacking him. Maybe it was because of what he'd done to their friend. But didn't they understand that that officer had wanted to do worse to _him_?

Anger was the rest. He had left that area because he was sorry; ashamed- he hadn't wanted to hurt anyone else. Did they want him to?

A blinding light from overhead was giving him a migraine. Leo didn't like it… it seemed so menacing. He tried to block most of it out.

One of the cops, a woman with short, dark hair, had a megaphone. Speaking, she brought his attention back to the guns. "Okay, take it easy there." Her voice echoed. "I want you to put your hands in the air, and get down on your knees."

Leo shook his head. "What for?"

The woman was quiet for a moment. "Assault on a police officer. And we think that you may be one of the infected."

Ah, so it _was_ that. But what did she mean by infected? Confused, he took a step forward. "I don't know what you're talking about-"

He knew how many bullets were in each of their guns. He'd felt the movement of one of them as it was fired towards his body.

The sound was deafening- so much, that Leo didn't even think to concentrate on the power. Yelling, he put his hands to his ears.

" Dalton!" The woman shrieked.

A young man behind one of the cars stared wide-eyed. "He was coming towards us!" He yelled in his defense. "You've seen what those other freaks can do!"

More yelling. Leo didn't understand much of it. Though he'd lowered his range of hearing, the sound of the gunshot had been much more like an atomic bomb going off in his head. But things were slowly becoming clearer.

"M'am." Another officer said. "He's still alive."

"What?" The woman turned back to Leo.

Four feet in front of him, a bullet sat perfectly still, as frozen in place as an undisturbed icicle, positioned directly in line with his neck.

Cocking his head, Leo watched it in awe. He knew he'd used the power to do that… but before, he'd always had to concentrate to do so. The turtle hadn't even thought to do so this time.

Grinning, he flipped the bullet back around, intending to give it back to the officer who'd shot it at him. It wasn't Leo's after all.

His intentions had been to send it over simply and rest it down on the car. Apparently, the other officers took it the wrong way, for at least half of them fired on him that second.

"You idiots!" The woman with the megaphone yelled over the gunfire.

Leo watched her and the man behind her, not paying attention to the bullets that had once again stopped before mortally injuring him. They were the only ones who hadn't attempted to kill him.

"I was just trying to give it back." Leo said softly. He gathered them all up, creating a wavelike movement with them in the air, and sent them hovering above the pool. "I wasn't gonna hurt you. Why do you want to hurt me?"

Each bullet fell into the water with a _plink_, one by one.

The woman put one hand on her hip. "We don't."

"_They do_!" Leo shouted. The perfect ripples in the pool were slightly disturbed.

The man behind her stepped forward, taking her megaphone. "There are other people out there in the city who can do what you can do. They're dangerous- _and_ very sick, from what we've been hearing. That other officer you injured isn't going to be a problem. We just wanna take you in and help you."

_Be careful. _The voice warned. _How often have you been deceived by such words? How often have people like these hurt you? _

Leo frowned. He wasn't sure. "I don't know…" He whispered. "Go… flow… show." The words slipped off his tongue, making him feel a little better.

A little, but not much.

"Why are you focusing on me then?" Leo asked. "If these other ones are dangerous?"

The thought that there were others besides him with the power, and using it so wrongly, was heartbreaking. They should be getting _them_, not _him_.

The two officers exchanged a glance but said nothing.

Sonar spreading to degrees previously unknown, Leo's eyes glazed as he took note of all that was happening. "Why do you want to hurt me when two blocks away, there's a woman who's getting raped? When there's a house being robbed, by people like me, who are threatening to kill the owner?"

"Because," the female cop began, "we don't know if you're just as dangerous or not. You _did_ injure a police officer."

A wave of sadness passed through the turtle. "It was an accident. He was trying to hurt me… and… and someone else."

She nodded. "Accident or not, we still need to take you in."

_Don't let them. You can't let them. _

Leo shook his head. "I'm not dangerous." He started to back up. The police moved forward, raising their weapons again. "I'm not."

With a screeching sound, the metal gate behind him was torn in two, giving him an exit. Another shot was fired, but Leo misdirected it into a tree with the power. Some of the officers were chasing him now, but they'd never catch him.

Creating sudden obstacles in their path, he ran as fast as he could away from them, trying to avoid the light above him at the same time. It took time, but he finally realized it was a searchlight on a helicopter.

His sonar helped him find it. With a single thought, he took out the light.

Soon enough, he was safe in the city.

&&&&&

_Dear God. _Bishop thought as he watched the events onscreen. He'd paid strict attention to Leonardo's features during the incident, another unfortunate mess, and had been shocked at what he saw.

The turtle could stop bullets as casually as he breathed. He was more powerful than they'd even suspected.

When they had him contained, extreme measures would have to be taken…

Stockman glanced at Michelangelo before turning back to Bishop. Same line of thought, of course. The orange-clad turtle would, whether his brothers liked it or not, need to be under sedation for the majority of his time here. If risks had to be taken, they'd be only under the most meticulous of dealings.

"Now do you see our need for haste?" Bishop asked. "We have your brother's position- that's an opportunity we may not have again. And even if we were lucky enough to get such a second chance, I doubt you'd want it delivered to you in the same fashion."

Gritting his teeth, Raphael looked at him and nodded slowly.

Bishop almost grinned. _If you thought the aftermath of my staged alien invasion that posted you and your brothers over national news was bad, you ain't seen nothing yet, Raphael. The whole world will know you after this. _

Don moved his eyes away from the television. "When does the chopper leave?" He asked.

"Five minutes." Bishop replied. "Don't be late."

Without another word, he turned and left, his agents and Doctor Stockman following immediately. "I want a special chamber prepared for Leonardo's arrival." He said as soon as they were out of hearing range. "No windows- the room needs to have absolutely _no_ weak points. I want it so soundproof that a newborn baby could sleep through an atomic blast there. Kill the lights… and get that substance we found in that Triceraton cooling chamber."

Stockman caught on quick. "So we're putting him into a state of sensory deprivation."

"Exactly. You've said that the telekinesis is dependent on those senses- mainly the sonar? We'll take it all away. And if we speak to him, only when he's heavily sedated."

A note of skepticism could be heard in Stockman's voice. "_If_ you even catch him." He laughed. "His brothers will certainly be _displeased_ to learn of this."

Now it was Bishop's turn to laugh. "And you assume I'm telling them."

&&&&&

Okay, that was shorter than the last few, but I hope you liked it! The next one will be much longer, so I thought I'd give you guys a little break.

Oh, and if any of you are upset about the lack of Don in this chapter, you have my apologies. I focused a little more on Mike and Raph in this one because for the next few chapters, most of it will be Don and Leo. Don't worry though, you'll see what's going on with the others, too.

Anyways, please review!


	9. That Special Ingredient

(grins) Hello! I'm back and feeling very happy! Now that I've completed a decent-sized chapter for my crossover Edge of Calamity, I don't have to feel so guilty about writing huge pieces for this one again!

So, how's everybody? Good, I hope. And if not, maybe this will make you feel better.

If I can't do that either, than forgive me. I am but mere mortal, after all.

So here we go! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I ever find a way to receive ownership of the TMNT, the party's at my house! We'll have a Ninja Turtle marathon, complete with noisemakers and piggies-in-a-blanket.

&&&&&

In the chopper again, Donatello sighed as the helicopter took off, separating him from his brothers. Accompanying him was Bishop and six other agents- four to stay in New York and gather more of the infected and two to provide assistance to Bishop, who was coming only to brief Splinter and Leatherhead.

Frowning, Don looked out the little window beside him. The sun hadn't quite blinked over the horizon, but it would soon. He didn't like the idea of searching for Leo in the daylight. If people hadn't been frightened by them before, they'd be now.

_Hopefully most of them are already out of the city._ He thought, recalling the evacuation. _But there's still the police, of course._

As the landscape quickly zoomed past, the turtle in purple looked over at Bishop. "So…" he said, tired of the five-minute silence. "Just what part of Pennsylvania is this?" Seeing the man's look, he rolled his eyes. "C'mon, you're gonna abandon your base once this is done anyways. Might as well tell me."

Crossing his arms, Bishop glanced out his own window. "You do make a valid point. Very well, Donatello. This is Pittston; it's an old mining town. It has a very small population, so few people bother us. We operate under the façade of a research facility out in the country. We're also close enough to the big cities like Scranton to get any supplies we may need and house employees- Royal, Wheeler, and Coombs lived there."

Nodding, Donny watched it go by below him. It seemed like a nice, quiet little town. Tapping his fingers against the armrest, the ninja frowned. "Exactly how long do I have to find Leo?"

"On your own?" Bishop began. "Until this time tomorrow morning." Before Don could protest, the man in sunglasses continued. "If you haven't located him by then, I'll be sending in some of my own agents to assist you. We want Leonardo as soon as possible."

This sent alarm bells off in Don's head. "Why's that?" He asked cautiously.

Bishop's look was cool and collected. "If you do remember, _you_ and your brothers were blamed for the attack on the president in New York several months ago."

"Oh, you mean the alien invasion you staged- the one that led to the Outbreak Virus that infected _hundreds_ of animal and insect life. And nearly killed me."

One nod. "That would be the one, yes." He said, unaffected by the bitterness so irregularly found in the purple-banded ninja's voice. "It won't take people long to connect the recent footage of your brother to that event. When word of it gets out, who do you think the President is going to be more upset with? I may have more alien specimens collected on this planet than anyone else, but that means nothing if I can't catch a 'top threat'. The sooner we have Leonardo, the less chance there is for him to be seen again- and for me to lose my job." Frowning deeply, Bishop straightened his tie. "Unfortunately, in this situation, I'm forced to cover for you."

Despite the favor, the olive-green ninja could tell that this wasn't all that it appeared to be. "Thanks for the favor." He said, somewhat sarcastically. "But while I'm gone, what are you going to do to my family?"

Sighing, Bishop looked out the window. "Nothing much different from what you saw while you were there, Donatello. Doctor Stockman will be spending a great majority of the time perfecting the cure with the help of Leatherhead. Michelangelo, once he reaches the more serious stages, will be put in quarantine. The same goes for Raphael and Splinter when they reach that stage of the infection."

"I don't-"

"I don't care what you think." Bishop interrupted him. "That's the way things have to go whether you like it or not. The safety of far too many _human_ beings depend on it." He said coldly. "The sooner you get back, the sooner we can take care of this. Leonardo may also provide us with some information to develop the cure. Are we understood?"

Eyes locked, Don slowly nodded.

Sitting back, Bishop closed his eyes, clearly deciding to relax for the rest of the short trip. "Good."

&&&&&

Buildings were so tall in New York. Walking in an alleyway, Leo glanced up at them, wondering what it would be like to be that high; what everything must look like from that point of view.

Tired, he sat down on the ground, not minding how unsanitary his choice of seating was. Taking in a deep breath, Leo stayed in that position for a while.

The power… it seemed to have gotten stronger, somehow. Glancing to his side, the turtle an abandoned bicycle. Tapping into the power, he lifted it into the air and tossed it a few yards.

Yesterday, he didn't remember being this strong. The memory was hazy, but he knew that his biggest feat had been sending that metallic roof above a woman's patio into a police officer. And that had been so _light._

And still.

He'd stopped several bullets this morning, too. Those had been speeding. But he'd _felt_ them through his sonar- a disturbance in the perfectly slow sounds that rippled back to him.

That had grown stronger as well. The young ninja set the bike upright, back where it had originally been. The force of the power had doubled within him.

He'd have to be careful.

_Indeed._ The voice went off. By the bicycle, a white figure had appeared, absolutely featureless. It was as if God had been sculpting someone to roam about in the Earth, but had forgotten to finish him. _You've seen far too many people use the power in ill ways. You can't be like them._

"I won't." Leo assured the voice. "I just wanna…" He paused, "There was something I wanted to do…"

_Give it time. Eventually it will come to you. Now about this power, you cannot afford to lose control of it. Like with the police officer. You acted on impulse with him, just as when you were fired upon today. Continue to do that, and worse things could happen._

"How do I do that?" Leo asked, eager to know. "At… rat… bat…" The words followed his question within seconds.

The figure didn't seem to notice his new proclivity for rhyming. _You tap into your sonar when you think you need it; you need to be aware of it at all times. Being focused on it will take ease you into a more… calm state. Your emotions are getting the better of you- your fear and your anger. Relax them, and you will retain a tighter grip on the power._

Though he didn't quite remember it, Leo's life had been built upon a foundation of paranoia. And it had yet to move- after all, it had kept him alive. Moving bases to another location just didn't feel right. "But what if they try to kill me?"

_People do that. But, those emotions aren't going anywhere. The only thing you're doing is stabilizing them. Survival depends on those feelings, after all. And that's what you want to do- survive. That's another aspect of the sonar; you'll always know what's coming. And it won't take long for you to learn how to use it while paying attention to the world around you, either._

"Really?"

_Of course._

The blue-clad turtle smiled and leaned back and closed his eyes. "Teach me."

&&&&&

Spreading the grass out as far as it would go, the blades of the helicopter began to slow down as the aircraft found solid ground. They were near the edge of a park, closer to the city than what Don had seen on the newscast.

Still sitting, Bishop was now looking through more files. "Leonardo was last seen running off in this direction. We've brought you as close as we can while staying away from the local enforcement that's still roaming these parts.

Opening the door, Don looked back. "Don't you think they noticed the government aircraft flying over their heads?"

Bishop pointed to the other agents who were lining up behind Don. "That's part of the reason why they're here. While you disappear, they'll explain they're reasons for being here, which are perfectly true."

Glancing at them, Don nodded.

Sighing, Bishop placed the file down. "Are you waiting for a goodbye hug?" He asked sarcastically, still keeping his composure as perfect as ever.

Donny shook his head. "No. I just wanted to remind you that if anything happens to my family, there's no force on this planet or any other that will keep me from making sure you pay for it." He said just as calmly.

With that said, he stepped out of the helicopter and disappeared in the shadows, ready to find his brother.

&&&&&

Pushing his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose, Bishop once more picked up the files he'd been reading.

Donatello's threat sent no elevator cab of terror cascading down his spine. For one, if anything were to happen that the turtle might fit under a category of 'Reasons for Revenge', the base he was currently operating at would be moved sooner than planned- quicker than the ninja could blink. And without the courtesy of a forwarding address.

Despite that, those actions would not be motivated by fear. It would be on the account of something startling that had been discovered in one or both of the turtles- one so earth-shattering that it meant risking billions of dollars in the open transportation of technology, both human and extraterrestrial, equipment, and mutant and alien life forms. All so Donatello would never be able to track down and take back his family.

But that would never happen, so there was no reason to fear.

Bishop snorted at the phrase. He'd feared _nothing_ since his abduction so long ago…

_That_ day, he had known fear. But he'd turned it into a duty. A duty to hunt down alien races- harvest their technology and resources to plan defenses, take them from all sense of safety they'd known, as they'd done to him.

And by doing so, to protect the planet from their kind. No matter what the cost.

Turning a page in the file he was reading, Bishop stared down at the information they had on Subject X97.

It had been a glorious day when they'd captured him and his two companions. Bishop could still remember the triumph, for it had been _their_ race that had captured him so long ago.

Yet every time he passed Subject X97's cell, the government agent felt the icy fingers of _real_ fear massaging his neck. Why, he wasn't sure. The threat was contained.

Besides the infection, anyways. Perhaps that was what alarmed him.

It was a disease of their species, after all. Contracting it would be like that day during the Civil War- like being taken up in their spacecraft, helpless against whatever they might do to him.

"Sir?" One of his men questioned.

Bishop turned his head sharply. "Yes?"

"We're landing again."

Nodding, Agent Bishop kept his expression as grim as ever. "Thank you." He said as he closed the file.

Waiting for the helicopter to meet the ground, he fell back into thought. _And that's why, Donatello, your threats mean nothing to me. I know what you fear- I know you fear losing your family. But you'll never know of the thing that frightens me. And a threat is useless without that ingredient._

&&&&&

The sun was just beginning to rise. Sighing, Master Splinter adjusted his grip on his walking stick.

"Relax, Master Splinter." Leatherhead said calmly. "Most of the city has been evacuated. But if anyone should happen to pass us, we can go back into the sewers while we await the helicopter."

Splinter nodded his appreciation. "Thank you, Leatherhead. I will be fine. But are you sure that this sits well with you?"

The crocodile huffed. "Seeing Agent Bishop _never_ sits well with me, my friend. But I am comin with you not because of him, but for you and your sons. If I can be of assistance to them in providing this cure, than by all means, I shall do so."

Smiling, Splinter nodded once more. "Your kindness is most appreciated."

The sound of a helicopter overhead brought the two mutants' attention to the sky once more. They'd been informed of Bishop's early arrival, so there was no doubt in either of their minds as to who was in that government aircraft.

It landed in the middle of the street, paying no consideration to anyone who, were they still in the city, might need to use that road.

The door opened and Bishop stepped out. Reaching the ground, he tucked his arms behind his back, as was so customary with him. "Hello, gentlemen." He said sarcastically.

A muffled, snarling sound escaped Leatherhead's mouth. The pupils of his eyes became more cat-like for a moment… but quickly returned to normal.

Bishop smiled. "Now, watch that temper of yours, Leatherhead." Bringing out one hand, he gestured to the door. "If we can be on our way? I'll brief you on the situation during the flight."

Eyes narrowed, Splinter stepped forward, but not onto the helicopter. "My son has informed us of most of it. Where is he?"

"Searching for Leonardo." Bishop answered while straightening his tie. "He sends his regards. Now if you'll get into the helicopter, I can tell you what he hasn't. You'll need to know."

Exchanging glances, the two mutants got onto the plane. It was unusually large- Leatherhead had to do nothing more than duck his head to get in.

Inside, they took a seat, opposite of the one that clearly belonged to Bishop. When the man stepped in, shutting the door, he made a motion to the pilot to take off.

While he was a valued friend, his size did not make Leatherhead the lightest of them. Splinter was slightly surprised at how easily the aircraft was able to get into the sky- there had been no jolt whatsoever.

Clearly thinking the same thing, Leatherhead spoke, glancing at the helicopter. "Your aircraft seems accustomed to transporting heavy items."

"Yes." Agent Bishop answered. "A lot of the items we have require such accommodations. Now," He said, getting to business; "let me tell you what we're doing. As you know, there's an alien disease that's gotten out. A great deal of people in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have been infected with it- and that included you, Splinter, and all of your sons, with the exception of Donatello."

"Why is that?" Leatherhead questioned.

"Part of the cure you and Stockman came up with for the mutant outbreak that we provided him caused an acceleration in the production of white blood cells. It fought off the disease so quickly that he's basically immune to it. Our idea for this cure is to reproduce the same affect in these infected people. We unfortunately can't use the previous cure- we've tried. It won't work. So Stockman is searching for a new one- and you'll be helping him." Bishop grinned. "As I told you once, it really would've been a shame if I'd killed you after all."

The croc growled once more. Bishop didn't seem to care.

"As for you Splinter," The agent said, "you will eventually be put into quarantine with Michelangelo. Raphael too, when the disease reaches the point where it becomes contagious. Then, we'll be using the three of you along with our other subjects to see how the cures work."

Splinter frowned. "Will I be able to see my sons?"

Straightening his tie again, Bishop nodded. "Yes. For now, visitation to Michelangelo will be limited- he's displaying some of the more serious symptoms. But Raphael definitely."

Unhappy with this, the rat nevertheless agreed. They were _his_ sons… but this was for their safety.

Even if that safety was entrusted in a man who could not be.

"So you may know," Splinter said, "if anything happens to my sons that is not in their benefit, you will not live to know all the consequences."

Bishop grinned again. "Donatello has already tried a similar threat like that on me. You'll learn quick that they don't quite work."

&&&&&

Leo felt calm when he awoke again. Gone was the uneasiness that had been plaguing him. It reminded him of that happy feeling he'd smelled somewhere not too long ago- the one accompanied by the danger. He thought that that aroma had been on a person… but he wasn't quite sure.

Either way, that serene feeling was within him now. He liked it. And unlike before, he could smell no danger. It was nice.

Sitting still, the turtle brought his knees closer to his chest, trying to keep the cold out. According to the sun, it was nearly two in the afternoon now. He'd been learning this technique for eight hours and it was time to practice.

Focusing on a bicycle he saw, he attempted to keep everything in mind about it while being aware of what his sonar relayed to him. It was difficult- several times, the ninja had to start over again.

A sonar did not reveal things like color. Before, it often took a great deal of concentration to tap into it. And he could only focus on certain sections at a time.

While he was doing that, Leonardo could not see in any way what was happening directly before him- be it through his eyes or the power. It made him vulnerable. He was grateful that the voice had revealed this to him.

On his seventh try, he was finally able to remain aware of the world around him… and at the same time, take note of all of the different people running a few streets down from his position.

When he realized that there were objects floating in the air, Leo understood that some of these people also had the power. They were the ones using it unwisely.

Curious, he got up, only to pause. "Wasn't I supposed to be looking for something?" He questioned softly aloud. After a minute or two, he shook his head, feeling a headache developing in the back of his head. "…No… some_one_."

The turtle walked on a little ways. He liked walking. It was relaxing. "Names… what're their names? …Name… game… shame… lame…"

He wondered what those names were. Hell, he couldn't quite remember his _own_ name anymore.

Frowning, Leo moved to the side when he picked up a large, jagged piece of glass flying towards his head. Missing, it shattered on the earth. Looking up, he noticed a teenage girl, grinning at him. She was standing by a jewelry store with its window shattered; two boys were inside, splitting the glass display cases with their own power and harvesting the gems.

Looking around, Leo noticed that people were in the streets, stealing and killing. He blinked. For some reason, this wasn't all fitting in his head, but he couldn't figure out why.

Not that it mattered. Soon, four police vehicles rounded the street. A man cautiously stepped out, then another. Leo could hear what they were saying.

The first one stared at the scene and muttered, "What the hell are all these people doing here? I thought we were evacuating the city."

"That's what we were doing, Jim." The second answered. "But New York ain't a nice, small town. You honestly think we could do it in less than three days?"

Ignoring them, the turtle eyed his surroundings. He could see three others just staring at the scene, like him. A man and two women. Something was odd about them- he felt that they too had the power, that they weren't using it in bad ways.

Simultaneously, they looked at each other. It seemed they had the same idea.

Before the police even knew what was happening, half of their problem was solved. The other three, who did have the power, sent people into walls, taking their items.

Leo did the same to the girl and her friends robbing the jewelry store, also taking care of a man with a gun who was behind him.

It was exciting- so much that Leo laughed out loud. Although two of the teens and the gunmen were knocked out, the other boy got to his feet and scowled, only to send several shards of glass cascading toward him.

They were stopped in between the two of the infected; halted like a mobile crafted with love by a serial killer, with both boys pushing on them with the power.

Still hanging in place, the pieces shattered.

Realizing that this wasn't going to look, Leo turned his attention back to the boy. There was a wooden sign above the jewelry store. In seconds, the screws holding it together had spiraled out of place and the sign was sent into the teen's head, knocking him out cold.

Grinning, Leo turned to see how the other three were doing.

The fight was over. Many of the other infected had run away, and no one was interested in chasing them. They each had something far more important on their minds.

_The names…_ Leo thought.

The four each nodded to each other before walking away, leaving the police officers stunned.

As the turtle turned onto the sidewalk, he stopped for a bit. _Four…_ That number seemed so _right_ to him.

Laughing again, the blue-banded ninja continued on. "Four… door… roar… more…"

As he was trying to recall the elusive names, he realized that, after ten minutes, he'd walked into another scene of chaos. He'd been aware of it, but it hadn't seemed interesting until now.

Needing a break, he was eager to use the power again.

&&&&&

The world had gone to hell again. Donatello looked at the city before him, surprised at the speed of its sudden downfall.

It was just like the night Leo had left. The streets were a maze of people fighting; blood and other debris- cops trying to settle it all down. But with so many evacuated, the turtle wouldn't have expected so many of the infected to still be here.

Then again, if they were anything like those he'd heard of from Stockman, they probably hadn't stuck around. Don had noticed that the infected had a strange inclination to be moving… when they weren't sleeping, anyways.

_God, I have to find Leo…_

The purple-clad ninja knew he must've gone in the wrong direction. After abandoning the pool, Leo couldn't have traveled that far, whether he had unearthly powers or not. That was the trouble of searching for someone in a big city. There were way too many places for a person to go.

Sighing, he tried another direction, making sure to check every nook and cranny, in the case that Leo had stopped somewhere to sleep. Don figured- _hoped_, he was on track now. This was the last area left.

Something had been bugging him for a while now. Back at Bishop's base, X97 had told him that the voice the infected heard in their heads was another part of themselves. That had been relieving.

Especially considering how sure Stockman had been when he'd referred to the test subjects as schizophrenic. Donny knew that the scientist was right- he'd checked his research.

After doing that, the turtle had been worried again. He'd researched schizophrenia once. The most common symptoms were delusions, hallucinations, and problems speaking. In _many_ cases, a hallucinated voice or person would tell the victim to harm themselves.

From what he'd heard from Leo, this voice was more like the one X97 had spoke of- more like a teacher. But that didn't mean there weren't more voices in there. And Don feared the possibility that they weren't as nice.

And if that were the case, Leo could have less than his five days to live.

Down on the streets, a woman was being backed into a corner. Judging by the way that she was floating in the air, Don assumed her assailant was suffering from the same alien disease as his brother.

He had to find his brother, but he couldn't just leave her like that. All of these people needed help.

Drawing his bo, Don jumped to the ground.

&&&&&

Voila! Done!

In the next chapter, we will be seeing some action- and some Mikey and Raph.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Please review!


	10. Fray

Hi, guys! I'm back!

(wipes forehead) Thew! The Fan Fiction Competition is finally over! In case you didn't know, I was on the committee this year. 'Twas a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work too.

Now all that's left is getting the diplomas out!

Now, so you know, the incident I'm about to describe in this chappie is not the one from the last one. It's something different. Leo's been around.

Anyways, here's the tenth chapter of Infection! Hope ya all enjoy!

&&&&&

"Please!" The woman cried. She was attractive; petite- not even taller than him, and had long brown hair and big brown eyes, which were clearly wider than usual, and for good reasons. After all, not only was she facing a strange man who no doubt had only the intentions of raping and/or murdering her, her feet were dangling a good two feet off the ground while the attacker remained three yards away.

Landing quietly in the shadows, Don began to plan his assault, but not even seconds after his toes had met the concrete had the man stopped his maniacal grinning, only to whip his head around in the turtle's direction.

Donny had been as silent as a mouse, as concealed as a panther in a pool of black ink at midnight. But it quickly became apparent that ninja stealth meant nothing with these people- not when their senses were beyond mortal comprehension.

He felt a hard tug on his bo staff and knew that it was from a telekinetic source. Tightening his grip on it so hard that the wood began to burn his skin as it slid, he ran forward, swinging it back.

The man suddenly stopped trying to take the bo and instead pushed Donatello himself back into the wall of the building he'd been standing on.

Feeling himself floating through the air for a moment, the turtle's eyes widened. He knew that he was going to be sore in the morning. But before he hit, he brought his arm back and threw his staff at the man's head.

Having already turned his attention back to the woman, the assailant didn't notice the weapon until the thing the infected described as a sonar picked up on it. Too late, he turned his head back around- only to meet the end of the wooden staff as it hit him between the eyes.

At that moment, Don felt his shell collide with the wall- the impact vibrating through it to his spine and arms painfully. Sliding down it, he groaned before turning to look at the man.

After a startled moment passed over his face, he went down like a sack of potatoes.

So did the woman. Yelping in surprise, she fell on her bottom, one sneaker sent flying.

Getting to his feet, Don made his way over to her. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yes." She nodded shakily. "Thank you-" Seeing him, she gasped. "Oh my god, stay away from me!" She cried, trying to get to rise.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Don tried to assure her.

She started to back up, her brown hair getting into her face as she shook her head. "No- you're one of them. Just like him. I saw you." She insisted.

Don froze. She wasn't afraid of him because of his appearance, though it was obviously unforgettable to her.

Because of how similar it had to have looked to someone else- someone who _did_ have abilities like the man that had just tried to hurt her.

Quickly, he moved towards her, but kept far enough away so as not to frighten her. "No, that wasn't me." He told her.

Before he could continue she looked at him closely. "Yes, it was! You're a turtle, just-" She cut off in mid-sentence. "Wait. Wait… it was blue." The woman said slowly. She looked him in the eyes- Don finally saw a light of credence. "You're wearing purple… he was wearing blue."

The turtle nodded. "That's right. It wasn't me. That was my brother. I'm looking for him. Where did you see him?" He paused. "Why are you afraid of him?"

She looked away, to the ground. In that time, Don turned to check on her assailant. He was still unconscious.

It occurred to him then that most and nearly all of the infected lost their sense of morals- especially if they had few to begin with. The ones back at Bishop's base, when they weren't sedated, were never… _pleasant_, anyways.

Had Leo become like the rest of them?

"Is he like him?" Don asked quietly, looking back at her. There was fear in his _own_ eyes now. "Did he try to hurt you?"

Her eyes averted back to him, surprised. "No. No- he didn't even come near me. I didn't see him hurt anyone."

Don sighed in relief. "So," he repeated, "why are you afraid of him, then?"

The woman bit her lip. "He's not like the others." She whispered. "And I've seen the others. What they can do… it's amazing, it's terrifying. But… your brother- he makes their work look like child's play." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I saw him, two blocks down, about ten minutes ago. There were these people, those infected ones, and they were beating up this guy. Rocks floating towards his body as fast as a car. And then _he_ showed up. Just… stopped them, like it was nothing. The asphalt beneath their feet- he actually cracked it open, tripped them. When one guy attacked him, he brought out his swords- but they were floating too. Those things were moving like they were being held by some martial arts guy, or something… but he just stood there." She took in a breath. "And then it was over. Just like that. And he walked away without a word."

Taking all of this in, Donny frowned. They'd seen a small display of Leo's skill on the television. And that apparently was all that it was.

Small.

"Thank you." Don said. "Are you sure you're all right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Nodding, the ninja moved. "Okay. Um, I'm sorry. I gotta go. I need to find him."

He ran as fast as he could.

&&&&&

The bark peeled off of the tree like it was shedding a jacket, unzipping it and discarding it lazily on the earth around it.

Leo watched it in fascination. It was something new he'd figured out; the power wasn't just a force used to manipulate objects. It could be made into something resembling a sharp yet invisible instrument, used to split open objects previously immovable, like the tree or the ground.

Glancing at a drinking fountain, Leo used the power to hold down a button that released a curved stream of water. He made a barrier between it and the drain, so that the water filled up the small basin until it was a miniature pool.

The water began to divide, like a shark was swimming through it. Grinning, the turtle created patterns in the pool, parted it until he could see the surface beneath it.

Pleased, he released the barrier and watched all of the water spin down the drain. With the sonar he watched it go. It was amazing.

Yawning, he moved away and further down the street. Five or so people walked amongst him, two in fear, and the rest doing whatever they pleased.

He didn't feel like stopping them right now. All they were doing was experimenting with the power, anyways. Besides, he had grown far too weary in the last few minutes. He'd have to find a place to rest.

At the end of the year, it got darker earlier. Though it was no later than four thirty in the afternoon, the sky was growing gray. It was cold, and Leo was too exhausted now to do much.

Trudging along, he came to a building. Stopping, he craned his neck upwards and stared at it for a long while, the symbol that represented the company, in particular. It reminded him of a dinosaur, or a dragon.

Something seemed so familiar about it- something that sent chills down his spine…

There were three dark figures at a window in the middle of the building. They were gazing at a billboard across the street.

The light bulbs that illuminated it shattered.

Frowning, Leo looked back at them. They were laughing. He knew that they too had the power… but something told him that he didn't want to interfere with them. Not tonight- not for a petty crime like that.

_They're dangerous. _The voice told him. _Wait until you're stronger- then you can fight them._

"Okay." He mumbled.

And he kept walking.

&&&&&

Stockman glanced at the large crocodile occasionally as he worked on examining some blood samples he'd taken from the other subjects.

He still didn't understand why Agent Bishop had insisted on enlisting Leatherhead's help. Sure, the mutant was plenty endowed in the matters of the mind- had aided them in curing the Outbreak virus.

But Baxter Stockman _knew_ what he was doing. He didn't need any help on this project- the few roadblocks were being solved even as Leatherhead and the rat were flying to the base. Just a few more bumps along the path, but it wouldn't be long before they were smoothed out. Stockman expected to have a cure ready by the next day.

Leatherhead frowned, staring down at some of the papers Stockman had given him relating to his theories thus far. "It appears that you have made a mistake here." He said, gesturing towards the paper.

"What?" The scientist asked incredulously. "Impossible!"

The croc handed him the papers. Stockman knew that Leatherhead was no more fond of another temporary partnership than he. Why then had Agent Bishop arranged for this?

"Here." The mutant explained, pointing a large, green finger at the page involving summaries on each of the test subjects. "Earlier, you discussed with me your plans for the cure, mainly by incorporating the use of white blood cells."

"Yes…" Stockman hissed. He was being explained his _own_ plans- he _knew_ those plans- he'd been the one to theorize them! "And what, pray tell, is your point?"

Leatherhead's eyes flashed a little as he growled, but he quickly turned back to the subject. "Well in this situation, I'm afraid, one size does not fit all. As you're well aware, this is an infection. As the days pass, it spreads throughout the body. It does not plateau- it increasingly worsens. View it like you would a cold. Someone who catches the problem early and treats themselves soon recovers faster and needs less medicine. But if another person is not as lucky and goes for a time without treatment, the cold too worsens and they will need more medicine than another will.

"Thus," the crocodile concluded, "someone like Michelangelo may be cured by this remedy, but someone like Leonardo, who is much farther along than he is, may not benefit at all from it."

"So what you're saying," Stockman said, "is that we'll be needing to make _multiple_ cures?"

"Exactly."

Had he still had teeth, the doctor would've gritted them. "Very well, then."

_I would've figured that out. _He thought to himself. _In just a matter of time. That mutant isn't anywhere near as busy as I am- I've done all the work! He just went off of it._

Frowning, he finished looking at the blood samples. Indeed, even now, he could see why that would be an issue.

Now they were set back. This meant another two days. Stockman shook his head. Agent Bishop would not be pleased.

&&&&&

It pounded his temples, squirmed in the back of his head, and jack hammered behind his eyes. But the headache, to Michelangelo, wasn't half as bad as all the noise, though it certainly made it worse.

The turtle lay curled up on the small cot he'd been provided. Raph had been staying with him for the most part but had left nearly an hour ago after being informed that Master Splinter and Leatherhead had been on the base for a good ten hours without their knowledge.

The red-clad turtle had been pissed; he'd wanted to know why Splinter hadn't been brought to the room yet and had gone to find out.

Had he waited ten minutes or so, Mike would've been able to tell him. The range of his senses had broadened exceedingly in that time- he was constantly hearing odd sounds and bits of conversations- that between Master Splinter and Bishop, for one. From what he could tell, the rat Sensei was being briefed.

Raph had left, joining them. Raph had left, and now it was just Mikey himself.

Mikey and all the noise.

_It's no so bad. _The voice was familiar, but softer. _You just need to get used to it, learn how to control it._

Suddenly, he didn't feel so alone anymore.

&&&&&

Watching Splinter, Raph knew that his Sensei was growing impatient. And if Splinter was impatient, then Raph was not one to be messed with at the moment.

Finally, Bishop was done talking. "Now if you wish, you may go and see Michelangelo now. You honestly don't have much time, though. He should be experiencing some signs of schizophrenia by now. And before too long, we'll be needing to put him in an isolated room so he cannot pass the infection on to someone else."

Raph balled his fists. "Yeah, we don't have any time 'cause _you've_ been yakking Splinter's ear off for hours, you son of a-"

"Raphael!" Splinter scolded. He too look peeved, but as always, Splinter understood when to keep his mouth shut. "That is enough, my son." The rat sighed. "Please, let us just go and see Michelangelo now."

Gritting his teeth, Raph reluctantly nodded.

Bishop grinned at him. "Raphael, you may escort Splinter to Michelangelo's room. I know you're well aware of it, and have little use for my accompaniment."

Glaring at him, the red-clad turtle jerked his head in the direction he'd come from, knowing all too well that Bishop was only allowing him this free movement because guard were posted all along the way.

Splinter glanced at him. "Has there been any word from Donatello?" He asked.

The young ninja shrugged. "I ain't sure, Sensei. They aren't too great about tellin' us what's goin' on here."

_I hope Don's found Leo by now, though. _He thought. _There ain't much time left._

Recalling time, and what Bishop had said, Raph moved faster towards Mikey's room.

The youngest of the turtles was asleep on his cot. He mumbled something in his sleep… something Leo had once said.

"The power…"

Frowning, Raph looked at Splinter. "He kinda sleeps on and off like this, Sensei. He should wake up before too long." He assured him.

Sitting down, the teenager glanced at his own hands. His biological clock was ticking too. Right along with Splinter. They had a few more days than Mike and Leo… but not that much when you thought about it.

Being manipulated by something out of his control was not a high manner of enjoyment on his list. Raph couldn't stand that there was nothing he could do about it, that he had to be pulled along in the current of this infection's river.

That he could end up doing things like those people behind the window- like the ones he'd seen in the streets.

Raph didn't want to be like them.

&&&&&

A garbage dumpster didn't make much of a pillow, but Leo didn't mind. He was just tired- so very tired.

But he could only rest in spurts, always waking up to someone doing something. Blinking tiredly, he glanced at some of the trash on the ground. He just stared at it for a long while.

It wasn't organized in any manner. It looked horrible and created a sense of tenseness in his chest.

Using the power, he raised the items up into the air until they were sitting atop the dumpster. There, he arranged them- crumpled papers went into one pile, rotten food into another. Metal pieces went with metal pieces and plastic with plastic.

When it was finally all in order, Leo relaxed, feeling more at ease. He was about to drift off with a loud crash caught his attention.

More looters, throwing police officers into things. Killing.

Leo shuddered. Those men hadn't deserved to die.

Frowning, he got up and walked over in that direction.

One more time. Then he could sleep.

&&&&&

Not that he'd expected to find him in the same place that the woman had seen him at, Donatello was nevertheless disappointed when no signs of Leo turned up.

With the exception of the cracked asphalt, of course. The state of that small area made the turtle think of a serious earthquake- one that had hit no more than a six foot squared section.

Knowing he couldn't possible have gone _that_ far, Don set off in search, trying to stick to the shadows that the buildings provided.

This was familiar territory. Foot Tower loomed nearby, but it was little more than a landmark in his mind's map of the city.

It wasn't long after that when rioting started to kick back up again. The police seemed to be doing their best, but their skills were little more than tossed pebbles compared to those of the infected.

Drawing his bo, Don was about to join the fray when one of them lifted a cop and slammed him forcefully, face-first, into the windshield of a cruiser. Blood sprayed as glass cracked- the officer was completely limp.

Knowing all forms of stealth here were practically useless, the purple-clad ninja nevertheless employed all of them to sneak over to the man.

"Sir?" He whispered. Upon getting no response, he gently, he placed two fingers against the exposed flesh of the officer's neck.

There was no pulse. He'd been killed instantly.

Shaking his head, Don let him be. His comrades would find him soon- one was already on his way. And he didn't particularly want to see the bloody and shattered face.

Ducking back down. The turtle glanced at the violent scene and tried to assess the situation, walking away and backing into another ark alley next to some apartment buildings.

There were seven of the infected out there, looting, fighting, and killing. Defeating them had been so much easier when there was only one.

Just as he was about to move back out and try to beat the infected, he saw two hit a wall, like they'd been pushed. The lights went out for them. Another quickly found himself locked inside the car he'd been jacking before getting hit in the head by a toolbox that was also inside.

Surprisingly, the other four grabbed their prizes and sped away. No one except two police cruisers went after them.

Slow and lazy footsteps made their way close to Don. Eventually, the figure could be seen, moving into sight and farther away from the apartments. He looked dead on his feet.

"Leo?" Don spoke softly, knowing that his brother would be able to hear him.

Sure enough the turtle stopped, staring ahead at nothing. "Leo…" He mumbled, as if testing a new word; "…Oh. That's my name."

Moving closer, Don nodded vigorously as Leo turned to look at him. "Yes. Yes, that's right, Leo." His brother's eyes stared at him in confusion, eye ridges wrinkling in thought. "Leo… do you remember who I am?"

Cocking his head, Leo stared at him for a long while. With each minute that passed, some of the techno-turtle's hope wasted away.

And suddenly, his brother's face relaxed and he smiled. "Brother." He said.

The grin that Donatello found himself with could not be contained. "Yes, Leo. That's right- I'm your brother. Now how about my name. Do you remember my name?"

Again, that look of concentration. But it quickly became far more intense. Leo was clearly striving to fish out the simple fact from his feverish mind.

Memory was a huge issue with the infected. Don was surprised, but more than grateful, that Leo recalled _this_ much.

"Bro, it's okay. You don't need to-"

He was interrupted by a fierce headshake. "No, I can do it- sit… fit… hit." Before Don could take in and realize what the rhyming implied, Leo was grinning again. "Donny." He said, holding his head.

Don nodded. "That's correct. You- uh, Leo? Are you all right?"

"Headache." The turtle mumbled. He looked so droopy. "I'm tired." He mumbled.

That could easily be seen. "Don't go to sleep yet, Leo. We need to talk. I'm here to take you with me."

The blue-clad ninja yawned. "Okay. How come?"

"Because you're very sick." Don tried to make him understand. He felt Leo's forehead but removed his hand quickly.

Back at the lair, he'd thought Leo had been warm. Now, his brother seemed to be on fire.

Biting his lip, Donny continued. "We need to get you help. This could kill you-"

With a shattering of glass, a television flew through a window at them. But it paused in mid-air along with the shards. An infected man inside was cursing at them.

Don gaped. Leo hadn't so much as turned his head or blinked. Casually, like he was used to it, he tossed the television back inside.

It came nowhere near their attacker… but the man went down like he'd been hit in the head.

It was one thing seeing Leo do something like this on television- but so different witnessing it in person.

They hadn't been kidding when they'd said Leo was powerful.

"Sick?" The oldest one asked. It was like nothing had happened. "I don't feel sick- kick… lick… stick."

Deciding to talk about this later, Don went on. "But you are. You just don't know it. And if we don't get you help… you might die."

"Hmm… guess that wouldn't be too good." Leo said lethargically.

He nodded in agreement. "So you're ready to go?"

Leo yawned and gave an affirmative.

"Don't go to sleep yet." Don reminded him, leading him out of the alley. "There's still some stuff we need to talk about."

"'Kay. Where we going?"

"A place a bit away from here." Don said, avoiding the mention of Bishop in the case that Leo remembered him. "But first, we need to make a stop at the lair."

&&&&&

All done! Anyone like?

Please review!


	11. Learning

(breathes in) Ah, I _love_ the smell of computers in the morning! Or, ya know, in the afternoon, at night- basically at any time. And I guess I should say the _feel_ of computers, since I have no sense of smell-

You get the picture!

(hugs computer) Man, it's been so long since I've been on the net! I kinda hate big holiday breaks for that- it gets _really _boring for me without Internet access.

Anyways, now I'm back (sings praises to Lord)! And I've brought an update for ya- free of charge.

And sorry, this chappie will have little of many characters besides Leo and Don. But you see, the next bunch won't have as much of Leo, so its almost a fair trade. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Heck, I'd settle for owning the company that distributes the TMNT videos and DVD's! Get the Ninja Tribunal season running in America. Then again, if I owned the TMNT, I could just have them ditch 4Kids and find someone who'd do what the fans wanted. But I don't own either of them, so I'll stop talking now.

&&&&&

Rubbing his left eye tiredly, Leo looked around at their surroundings. A few feet ahead of him… _Don_ motioned for him to hurry along.

Nodding, the blue-clad ninja quickened his pace. He had to keep reminding himself of his brother's name, it was hard to remember.

It wasn't hard to remember his own name anymore, however. Nearly every time his brother spoke, he used it. "Does any of this look familiar to you, Leo?"

The infected turtle shook his head. "No- go… throw… so. Is it supposed to?"

Don looked at him, eye ridges wrinkled in what Leo recognized as worry. "I was hoping it would. It's the usual route we take to get to the lair- our home."

Now it was his turn to pause. Leonardo cocked his head in confusion. He looked at the walls, trying to place them. All he could draw was blanks. "Are you sure? 'Cause I only remember this one long passage here in the sewers… with some pipes up above it." His forehead wrinkled with deep thought; another headache came. "And… wait. I… I don't know. A place with funny shaped doors- like hexagons."

"Those were our old lairs, Leo," Don clarified. "Both of them were destroyed. But we found a new home- you did, actually. It used to be an old pumping station for the reservoir. We fixed it up and it looks pretty good now. C'mon, we better hurry."

Soon, they were entering the lair. The purple-banded turtle hurried over to his lab, grabbing a few things while Leo waited outside the door. Don was right- it did look nice. And the couch looked _very_ inviting.

Unfortunately, there were already people sitting on it.

"Who are they?" Leo asked his brother.

"Huh?" Don had been stuffing some of his items into a bag when he heard Leo's question. "April? Casey?"

Hearing their names, the two humans woke up. The redhead's green eyes widened upon seeing her friends. "Donny! Leo! I can't believe you're here!" She shouted, jumping over the couch.

The man Don had identified as Casey sat up, blushing. Leo couldn't understand why.

Before the woman could hug them, Don raised a hand. "Hold on, April. I don't want you getting what Leo has. I might not be able to get infected, but that doesn't mean I'm not a carrier."

April frowned. "Do you think that's possible?"

"I'm not sure. I probably should've asked before I left the base."

Casey walked over to them. "So, ya found him, huh? What's up, Leo? Where the heck did you disappear to?"

Raising his head, Leo stared at him for a minute. A few memories showed themselves, along with the girl called April. Now, both of them were looking at him strangely.

"He's having some memory problems," Don explained to them. "It's one of the symptoms of the infection. Leo," He turned to him; "Do you remember April and Casey at all?"

He nodded, still staring at the two humans. "A little bit." He grinned. "I like them."

Whistling, Casey folded his arms. "Well, that's a relief." April nudged him in the side with her elbow.

Bored, Leo yawned and looked at the now vacant couch. "Can I go to sleep now?"

"Not now, Leo," Don said, fitting a few more things into his bag. He looked at April. "Did you get that information I asked LH to give you?"

"Yeah," she said, "After I downloaded it to my laptop, Casey and I came down here. From what Master Splinter and Leatherhead told us, we figured it'd be safer here than up on the surface."

"And if we're getting evicted like everyone else, might as well stay where you guys can find us," Casey finished.

April smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "_Evacuated_, Casey."

The man wrinkled his nose. "Whatever. Same thing."

&&&&&

With the assistance of April, Don collected a few things he thought might be useful, including a few statistics he'd taken on Leo the day they'd first discovered he was sick. It would probably make a good comparison- what he'd seen and what the woman in the alley had told him had Donny convinced that his brother's abilities had crossed the line of expected.

He planned on giving them to Leatherhead alone. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Don didn't want Agent Bishop to know anymore about him or his family than he already had learned through this mess.

As he put the final item in his bag, he turned to look into the living room, keeping an eye on Leo as he sat on the floor.

Casey was watching him, stunned. Bored, Leo had decided to create a house of cards, replacing the cards with DVD's and videos, of course. Already, it was four feet tall.

The man watched as the second of the _X-Men_ movies was placed on the top of the structure. "Dude, I know some people who would _love _to have you working for them. What else can you do?"

Grinning, the turtle adjusted the tower a little. The next thing the three of them knew, the couch was floating in the air. Next came Casey's coat, the cell phone inside it ringing. "I think it's your mom," He said.

Reaching into his coat, Casey took the phone out. By now it had stopped ringing and he flipped it over to check his messages. From the look on his face, Don could tell Leo was right.

"I think it was something about a farmhouse. Like she was staying there, or something," Getting up, he placed the couch back down and lay down on it.

Swinging his bag over his shoulder, Don went over to him and shook his shoulder. "C'mon, Leo. Let's go now."

The elder turtle frowned. "I'm tired," He said groggily.

"Please, Leo? We need to get to that place I told you about, remember? Mikey, Raph, and Master Splinter are already there."

"…Family?"

"Yeah, Leo," Don said, pulling him up slowly. "Don't you want to go see them?"

He shrugged. "Okay- day, say, may."

The rhyming was coming quicker than before. Sighing, Don nodded. "All right, then. Let's go. We'll take the helicopter."

That had been the second reason for him coming. He didn't think that, once this was all done with, Bishop would be loaning then his own aircraft. And if the treatment were anything like the time before, they'd need to get out quick. Stockman's old helicopter, fixed up and modified by Donny in his spare time, would do the job like it had last time.

As they headed towards it, April and Casey followed. Don motioned for Leo to get into the aircraft and turned to their friends. "You guys are welcome to stay here. Keep it locked up though- if any of the other people I've seen find their way down here, it might be your only defense."

April nodded. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." She smiled at him, Casey wrapping an arm around her. "Just be careful." As he turned to leave, she opened her mouth again. "And Donny? The rhyming… you know-"

"I know." Nodding his goodbye, Don hopped into the helicopter. Leo was experimenting with some of the controls, watching buttons light up and other things click.

"Leo," Don warned, "Don't touch anything- and by touch, I mean don't move anything with the power, either."

"Okay."

&&&&&

Bishop looked at the two, clearly annoyed. "Just how many cures are we talking about here?"

Placing a file down, Stockman directed his attention to the government agent. "At this point, approximately six, sir."

"And how long will it take to manufacture them?"

"From what I can see, two days- maybe more," Stockman added the last part hesitantly.

Jaw clenched, Agent Bishop, straightened his tie. How he _hated _aliens. "By that time, a fair chunk of those infected will be dead. And if we have to give individual inoculations, we risk having this fiasco traced back to us."

Leatherhead snarled. "Good. With the atrocities you've committed, fiend, I have no doubt you deserve it."

Glaring at the croc, but otherwise paying him no mind, Bishop glanced at the research. "We'll simply have to portray this in a positive way", he muttered. "Perhaps we can pass it off as a virus the Triceratons brought with their invasion. One with a delayed reaction."

Stockman nodded. "I'll have some agents get to work on it."

"Good." Without another word, Bishop turned and left.

On his way towards his next matter of business, he had to go through the hallway, each door leading to one alien threat contained.

As he past the door guarded, that familiar chill ran up his spine. He knew that just beyond it sat X97, one of the more benign species the organization had captured.

But naturally, it still had that effect on him. He'd been abducted by gray aliens, not any other. And he'd spent the last two hundred years of his life tacking down gray aliens in particular, not the others.

Shrugging it off, Bishop continued onwards.

Soon, he met with one of his men. "Agent Bishop, sir. We've picked up one of our helicopters. The one that Doctor Stockman took to New York."

Bishop frowned. He knew that aircraft was in the turtle's possession. Apparently, Donatello had found Leonardo. That was a relief. It seemed the turtle had chosen to stop and pick it up before leaving.

"That's fine. Let it through. Now tell me, is the isolation unit ready?"

"Uh, yes, sir. We just finished working on it two hours ago."

"Excellent," Bishop said. "I want it prepared for its guest immediately. He should be here soon. Spread the word, but make sure none of the turtles, Splinter, or Leatherhead learn of it." He placed his hands behind his back. "They'd ruin everything."

&&&&&

Every part of him just wanted to shut down. He was tired, he was bored, and his chest was starting to ache just a little. "Can I go to sleep _now_?" He asked.

"In just a minute, Leo. I want to talk to you first. Can you answer some questions for me? I promise, you can go to sleep when we're done."

Sighing, the turtle nodded. "Fine."

"Okay," Don began, "How about you start with the power. How do you know how to use it?"

"Oh, the voice tells me."

His brother bit his lip, looking upset. "The voice?"

"Uh huh. It tells me what to do… like when I'm sleeping," Leo explained.

"And do you ever see the voice?" Don asked. "Like you see me? Or is it just someone talking inside your head?"

Leo slowly recalled the white figure. "Both… sometimes. Sometimes, it looks like those spots on a picture. The ones that come out all white and you can't see any details. Kinda like that."

Nodding, Don fiddled around some more with the controls. "And… does this voice ever tell you to do other things? Bad things? Or maybe it tells you to hurt yourself?"

Shaking his head in confusion, Leo curled up a little in his seat. "No. It just tells me how to use it. And when to use it. And when I need to be careful."

Nodding again, Don opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something else, but closed it and looked at him. "Okay, Leo. That's good. You can go to sleep now."

"It's cold."

With one hand, the purple-clad ninja reached down and took a blanket out of his bag. "Here you go."

Leo barely had it in his hands and on his body before he fell asleep.

&&&&&

Mikey still wasn't awake. He was sleeping like a rock. It reminded Raph of the way Leo had back at the lair.

A knock at the door announced the presence of Agent Bishop. _What, being polite for once?_

"I thought you might want to know that we've detected your aircraft." He said sarcastically. He must've been referring to the helicopter. "Donatello should be arriving with Leonardo. If you wish, you may meet them at the front of the building." He left.

Master Splinter frowned. "He is up to no good, my son."

"Well, yeah. He's Bishop."

Splinter smiled and nodded. "I suspect they wish to transfer Michelangelo while we are not present. You go and see your brothers. I will stay with him."

Hesitantly, Raph nodded. "Okay, Sensei."

Taking another look at his little brother, he left the room to see his older one.

&&&&&

Though Don tried to focus on his current task, he couldn't help but check on his brother every few minutes.

It was like before Leo had left the lair- before they'd learned the severity of the situation. In seconds, the blue-banded turtle had slipped into a deep and profound sleep, untouchable by any of the noise around him that his acute sense of hearing should have been able to pick up.

Occasionally, he'd turn and mumble something. From what Leo had told him, he suspected 'the voice' was speaking to him.

At Bishop's base, the test subjects in the window, even when they _weren't _sedated, were always exhausted. And yet, they grew stronger each day.

It was just like Leo had told him. They _learned_ when they were asleep, for that was when the conscious part of their mind and the unconscious mind, the voice X97 had described, met. There was where they further figured out the secrets to their gifts and there was where they developed them.

There was where they grew stronger.

Intrigued by this, he continued to watch Leo as they flew. This helicopter wasn't like Bishop's MH-53. Instead of twenty minutes, they made the trip in a little under an hour.

Don sat in the seat for two minutes, surprised when no one came out. Perhaps Bishop was expecting him. He vaguely recalled being told by Leatherhead that the black ops agent had been able to track their helicopter. After all, they'd taken if from Stockman.

_Huh. That's something I'll have to fix._ He decided, unbuckling his seatbelt. Grabbing his bag, he walked over to the other side of the aircraft and opened the door. "Leo." He tried shaking his brother awake. The eldest turtle moaned and shifted away. "C'mon, Leo. We're here. It's time to wake up."

After three aggravating minutes of this, Leo finally opened his eyes. "Go away…" He whined, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

Sighing in exasperation, Don placed the bag on the ground and grabbed his shoulder. "Leo, we need to go inside-"

It felt like a finger was pushing into his chest. It wasn't like the man he'd fought in the alleyway- there, he'd been lifted off the ground, floating backwards.

Now, it was like there was something else there doing the job. Taking him by surprise, it forced him onto his rear. It didn't hurt, but it was frustrating, not to mention surprising.

_Just how far has Leo gotten?_

Quickly, Don got back to his feet and pulled his brother up. "Leo, we need to go- _now,_" He held him by both shoulders, looking him in the eye. "Remember why we came here? You're sick and we need to get you help."

Leo looked at him in confusion. "I am?" He asked groggily. The information seemed to have been wiped from his mind.

Face softened, Don nodded. "Yeah, bro. Can't you remember?"

There was that look of concentration again. However, this time, Leo didn't come up with the lost knowledge. "If you say so," He said, wholeheartedly believing him.

Frowning, the teenager helped him out of the helicopter. "You still remember who I am, though, don't you, Leo?"

After only a few seconds of hesitation, Leo nodded. "Uh-huh. Don. My brother."

Donatello sighed inwardly with relief. Being around him probably helped, just like using his name. When he'd found him, Leo had forgotten that too. Don had decided to calling him by it as much as possible, to remind him. Repetition and exposure was a good tool, he was finding.

After thirty steps or so, another familiar voice sounded. "Hey. What took ya so long?"

"Raph!" Don grinned at his other brother. "How is everything?"

The red-clad ninja did not look happy. "Not so good. I heard from Leatherhead there's been some sort of setback. And they're gonna throw Mikey in that room anytime now. Splinter stayed with him to make sure they didn't before you saw him."

His smile sunk. "Don't you have any good news for me?"

"Yeah. You brought back Leo," He turned his attention to the other turtle. "Leo, where the hell have you been?"

Blinking, Leo turned to look at Don before glancing back at Raph. Understanding the problem, he explained for him. "Uh, his memory isn't so good right now. It took him quite awhile just to remember me. Leo, you remember Raph, don't you?"

Cocking his head, Leo looked at him closely. "Brother?- other, mother, another."

"That's right," Don beamed, ignoring the rhyming. Maybe he wasn't as far gone as he'd thought.

Grinning, the blue-clad ninja looked at Raph. "Hi."

"Uh… hey," Raph said, previous frustrations buried now that they'd be useless on his sibling. Don watched concern melt into his features and tried not to smile. "You okay?"

Leo nodded. "I'm good. Tired."

"You can go to sleep in just a little bit," Don promised once more, gesturing fro them to move. "And we'll let Bishop wake you up next time…" He muttered under his breath.

As they went, Raph gestured to the entrance of the base with his head. "Got some agents watching," He said in a low voice. "They think Leo'll blow something up or whatever."

Don shook his head, voice just as low. "Only if you do something he doesn't like. He's like a little kid otherwise."

Raph craned his neck backwards. "Yo, Leo, get back up here!"

Their brother was trudging behind, looking up at the sky. "Look at the moon- soon, noon, dune."

"Yeah, it's nice, Leo," Don told him, "But we need to get inside."

"What's with the first grade poetry?" Raph asked him.

Sighing, Don looked at him. "It's a symptom of schizophrenia." He finally said.

Eyes widening, Raph went to look back at their brother… but he was gone. "Where'd he go?"

Leo was nowhere on the ground. Panic sweeping through him, Don suddenly recalled the highest element of the power and looked up. Leo was floating approximately one hundred feet above their heads.

"Leo!" Don shouted. "Get down!"

"Huh?" The ninja looked at them. "Oh, sorry."

But instead of coming down… the two of them came _up_- right until they were at the same height as their brother. Leo was grinning widely.

Raph looked at him. "C'mon, Leo. Let's get down."

"Isn't it pretty?" Leo asked, looking at the moon.

"Yeah, it's great, bro. Now let's get on the ground," Raph insisted.

Complying, the three of them floated down. Once there, Raph put one hand on Leo's shoulder. "Don't do that again," He told him.

"Okay," Leo said. Don knew he would forget.

As they walked inside, he himself tried to forget how much fun that was.

&&&&&

Wahoo! Another one done! Did anyone like it?

I hope you did. I'm trying to do good, honest I am. Please, please, please review!


	12. Here in the Dark

Hello! I have some excellent news!

Yours truly won a TMNT art contest! Four winners every two weeks, and I'm one of them! I'm SO happy!

Anyways, back to the story. As you know, for the past few chapters, things have been rather smooth, almost humorous.

_Now_, we're going downhill. It will get angstier and darker from here on out. Be prepared.

So I guess I better get to it then. Well, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I've written this so many times now, I'm afraid it will be on my will. 'Pi90katana lead a nice, pleasant life writing Ninja Turtle FanFiction. Disclaimer: She never owned them.'

&&&&&

The men Bishop had sent with him treated Leo like he was the plague. Perhaps that was a lousy comparison, given the situation, but it got on Raph's nerves. They knew full well that they would only be infected if the blue-clad turtle were to touch them, and he obviously had no intentions of doing so.

On the contrary, he seemed almost as frightened as they were. Walking in, Leo had displayed the enthusiasm of a young child. Now, he was sullen and watchful; tense and untrusting. He paid particular attention to their weapons, all of which were trained on him.

Raph recalled what he had seen on the television of his brother's encounter with the police. How much did Leo remember of that, if anything at all?

Don frowned at one of the man, clearly disappointed at their treatment. He kept watching Leo, as if afraid of what he might do. "Is that necessary?" He asked, though Raph knew his brother had long since understood the answer.

_C'mon, Don._ He wanted to say. _This is Bishop. You actually think he's gonna cut us some slack?_

"Affirmative," One of the operatives responded, keeping his eyes on Leo.

As they were escorted further into the building, more life became apparent. Other men who'd been busy talking silenced upon seeing them; stood absolutely still as if sudden movement would trigger some action from the infected turtle walking amongst them, thus either killing them all or dooming them to two of weeks of insanity followed by another form of it.

Suddenly, Leo stopped, alerting all of Bishop's men. Donatello turned to look at him. "Leo? C'mon, bro. Let's keep moving."

The other turtle paused before he spoke, seemingly uncomfortable with those around him. "I'm hungry," He said.

Blinking in confusion, Raph moved a little closer to him. "What? Leo, we can get ya somethin' later-"

Something flew into Leo's open palm- half of a turkey sandwich. The men jumped, but the ninja seemed to have expected it. He stood very still. "I'm hungry," He repeated.

It hadn't been a statement. It'd been a warning. Leo had sensed that these men wouldn't hesitate to shoot him, and though he could easily stop them, he'd chosen to prepare them.

That was a reflection of _his_ Leo, his brother. In that next second, Raph began to see the turtle before him in another view.

Yes, the brother he knew was still in there.

Leo began to eat, walking as he did so, with an air of assurance that he didn't usually have, despite his apprehensive mannerisms.

He was there… he was just taking a little vacation.

&&&&&

One of the more recognizable symptoms of the infection was a sufficient decrease in appetite. As a matter of fact, it presented such a problem that it became necessary to supply them with the nutrients their bodies needed intravenously.

So it came to Stockman as quite a shock when Leonardo was brought in devouring a sandwich.

He quickly began to wish the oversized crocodile wasn't there. Leatherhead had gone through all of his research and no doubt realized there was another contradiction to it present before them.

"One thing about working with ninjas," Agent Bishop said calmly; "They do seem to get the job done."

The one called Donatello ignored that. "How far along is the cure?"

With a turn of his head, Bishop directed the question to him.

Stockman glared at him for a moment before answering. "It seems that we've run into some difficulties. The unique structure of the virus will require several separate cures individualized for how far along into the infection each person is. It will take two days, perhaps."

"Are you serious?" Raphael practically shouted. "Do you realize how bad off Leo'll be by then? Mikey'll be able to move things just by thinking! I'll be-"

_Hearing voices?_ Stockman thought smugly.

Leatherhead came forward. "I understand your concern, my friend. But were we to go ahead with the cure Stockman was already producing, it would have little to no effect at all. As frustrating and troublesome as it is, it is far better to suffer through another two days then it is to speed through one just to reach a tragedy in the disguise of a victory," He straightened. "But as long as I am working on the cure, these fiends will do noting else, I assure you."

_Hmph. We'll see about that. I work for Agent Bishop, not you._

Bishop changed the subject. He had the smallest trace of a grin on his face, though it was far overweighed by his signature scowl. "I watched the feed from outside. Very impressive, Leonardo. We'll have much to discuss, on another day, of course. Perhaps you'd like to see your other brother and master," He nodded to Donatello. "You may take him. But don't get too comfortable," He warned, already walking away.

Doctor Stockman followed. Soon, they were in a secure hall, with monitors that flipped through several images of the interior of the base. Eventually, they could see the turtles leaving in the direction of Michelangelo's room. Then Leatherhead in the one they'd left, working further on the cure.

"Two days," Bishop finally said.

"I'm sorry, Agent Bishop, but it was a necessity. Unless you only want a small percentage of the infected cured, of course. You're lucky I caught it in time," He lied.

"There's no need to apologize, Doctor. You see, it really works out for my benefit. Besides several unwanted guests, we do get to work with Leonardo. And believe me, Stockman, there is much about the infection we can learn from him."

Stockman paused. "Agent Bishop, I already have several specimens that have provided ample study on the infection. I fail to see how this turtle could provide more, besides seeing it in a creature other than a human."

"Because, Doctor," Bishop stopped, "the mutagen in his system, as we well know, strengthens his power, as we well know. Don't you think that the physical changes that will eventually take place inside him will be more apparent? Even if they're not, we can test ways to stop these people on him that no one would condone on humans. It's the perfect opportunity."

They continued walking until they reached a large door guarded by two able looking, well-armed men. Another man, a bit thinner, stood at the center and saluted. "Agent Bishop, sir. Are you here to inspect the unit?"

"I am," Bishop said.

Nodding, the man turned. On the door was a nine-digit keypad, and a scanner. First, he slid a car into a slot on the keypad before typing in four numbers. Then he placed his thumb on the scanner.

There was a hissing sound and the door slid open slowly. The scrawnier operative led him in. After examining the door, Stockman followed. The unit was noticeably cooler; if he were to take a guess, it would have to be less than ten degrees Fahrenheit. "The scanner will only take the prints of you, me, and Doctor Stockman," The young man explained. "As you requested, this place has complete sensory deprivation. Once the door is shut, it's pitch black; sound proof. We've put bats in here for an hour or so and found some dead on the ground from beating their brains in after flying into a wall a couple of times."

"This isn't a unit for a bat," Bishop said, "It's for a very powerful member of the infected. For all we know, his range of hearing can exceed that of a bat."

"Sir," The operative said nervously, "A bat is the best we know how to test. You wouldn't let us put any of the infected in here."

Agent Bishop nodded. "Very well. Go on."

"Okay, well," He led them to a corner, "we made this as airtight as possible, as to instructions. The walls are made of steel, three feet thick. He won't be able to do anything to them. But because it was so tight, we had to give him air, so we made this hole here in the corner to disperse oxygen."

Stockman frowned. "You fool. He might be able to hear that."

"We made it so it only does so every three hours. And the hum is very low. But more importantly, and I think you'll like this, sir, we have it dispersing a stream of strong, gaseous sedatives several minutes before the air supply. Most of the time, he'll be unconscious. Also, we have microscopic sensors built into the walls to monitor his condition and any activity."

"Where are the sedatives kept? Is it anywhere he'd be able to reach with his abilities if he were to try enough?" Stockman asked skeptically.

"Well, it has to be close enough to get into the chamber," The operative explained, "But we have it as far away as possible. And with as thick and soundproof as this place is, it should be untouchable."

Bishop nodded in approval. "Good. Very good. All right, let's give him a little more time with his family. Then we'll load him here into the unit."

&&&&&

Mikey seemed to have woken up, though he was a bit groggy. Sitting on the floor, Leo placed his head on the bed. "Lucky," He said, "They let you sleep."

The orange-clad turtle nodded happily. "Sleep's good," He said.

Master Splinter looked at Donatello proudly. "You have done well, my son."

"Thank you, Sensei," Don said, bowing his head. Turning, he tapped Leo on the shoulder. "Leo? Do you remember the man we just saw?"

The turtle frowned. "The worm guy?"

Raph laughed and elbowed him. "Stockman," He clarified.

Don smiled. "No. Not him. The one with the sunglasses."

After a small time, Leo shook his head. Don nodded in relief. That was a good thing, really. If Leo didn't recall Bishop, he'd be more ready to trust him.

Even if that trust was misplaced.

Splinter looked at Leonardo. "How are you feeling, my son?"

"I'm tired. And Don says I'm sick."

"You are, bro," Raph said. "Trust us. But it'll all be okay soon, all right."

"Okay," Leo said.

Michelangelo looked at him. "Hey, do you have the power, too?"

Leo perked up. "Yeah. Do you?"

"Yeah. Hear those guys talking about a unit? Sounds scary."

Leo concentrated. "Oh. Yeah. The poor bats."

Don shook his head. It was strange; the three of them were oblivious to what this conversation was about.

Soon, they were making games. Leo was disappointed to learn that his brother did not have a sonar, or telekinesis, so they thus had to depend only on senses. But it was still interesting.

It became hard to catch their attention though. They didn't like being called out of a game of 'Where's That Sound?' or 'What's That Smell?'. But Don had to admit, they did find interesting ways to entertain themselves.

"Oh," Leo said, serious again. "That worm guy's coming."

"What?" Raph asked, getting to his feet.

Before he had his sais out, the door was being opened.

It wasn't just 'worm guy'. It was several soldiers, too. Master Splinter stood. "What is the meaning of this?"

One African-American man stepped forward. "We have our orders to take Michelangelo to solitary with the other members of the infected," He said.

Stockman folded his thin arms over his mechanical chest. "And I am to take Leonardo to a separate area. His state of infection makes him a danger that needs to be contained."

Don stood as well. "No way," They'd known that the two would have to be taken, but this soon… and the manner they were dealing with Leo- it didn't sound right. "You'll have to go through me first."

Stockman shrugged. "If you refuse, we've been instructed to refuse treatment to all of you. And you know how well that'll work out for your side."

"What about our deal?" Don asked.

"We already have everything we need from you," Stockman replied. "Agent Bishop is being most generous allowing you to stay here. So what will it be?"

They hesitated; slowly turned to look at the two behind them.

Both Mike and Leo seemed to understand what was happening. They looked upset… but compliant.

Raph stared back at Stockman. "You son of a bitch."

"We try," Stockman answered. "Take them."

Eight of the men walked over to the bed; the first half to Mikey and the second to Leo. Don couldn't help but notice that they were wearing gloves.

One man on either side of them, each pulled the turtles to their feet and began to lead them out of the room.

Splinter was standing in the way. He turned to look at Stockman. "I warn you, Doctor Stockman. If any harm comes to my sons-"

The scientist cut him off. "Of course not," He said. "These are valuable specimens-"

In turn, Raphael cut _him_ off. "Specimens? They're my brothers!" He shouted.

"As I was saying," Stockman continued, "They're very valuable. I'll personally see to it that they're handled with as much care as they deserve."

And before they could say or do anything else, they were gone.

&&&&&

Mikey frowned. "Ugh, who bathed in onions?" He asked.

The men continued to walk, absolutely stoic, but he figured they all knew that the one on the far right was the culprit. Perhaps he hadn't 'bathed' in onions, but he'd eaten his fair chunk of them recently, that was sure.

They weren't very interesting. And Mikey had to admit, this was starting to frighten him.

_Maybe if you knew what was ahead of you, it wouldn't be so frightening._ His voice suggested.

Thinking this was a wise idea, he raised his sense of hearing until he could make out all of the individual sounds before him. He heard footsteps and speech patterns; technical sounds of computers and the scratch of a pencil against paper.

He thought he heard their destination, too. It wasn't what he thought it would be- the place that was slowly slipping out of his memory.

Yes, there were other members of the infected here. But they weren't making sleeping sounds. They were making painful sounds, crying sounds.

It was then Mikey realized that soon, he'd probably be making the same sounds with them.

&&&&&

There were hidden places inside of this hidden place. Through his sonar, Leo could sense them. So he was surprised when they lead him into one.

_Dangerous places._ His voice warned him. _This place isn't safe and any parts of it that are kept secret are worse. Get out now_.

Stopping, Leo was ready to bolt- go back to the other room and warn those who called themselves his family of this.

But the men around must've sensed this for before he could act, he felt a needle being jabbed sharply into his shoulder. Because of his enhanced senses, it hurt like nothing else; the young ninja could feel… _something_ being _pushed_ inside him.

And then, he was far more tired then he'd been before. He couldn't even fight it. His knees seemed to turn to jelly and his eyelids to stone and he was on the ground.

The last thing he recalled was a large door looming before him. Even with his sonar, he could not see what was behind it.

And that was far more dangerous than anything he could've dreamt of.

&&&&&

When he awoke, he thought he was still asleep. There was nothing before Leo but darkness, deep and everlasting.

It was so cold. His body arched from the chill. He was numb all over; could barely move. He'd lost all feeling in his fingers and toes and many of his other body parts.

He felt like he was floating… but then he thought that there was something beneath his shell. More often then not, Leo couldn't tell. He had no idea where he was.

Not only was it dark, it was silent. All of his senses were turned up as high as they could go… but he got nothing. He tried opening his mouth to speak… but found he couldn't. There was something covering his mouth. He couldn't feel it, couldn't even lift his hands, which seemed to be tied together, to touch it.

He was completely cut off. There was nothing, absolutely nothing. Leo couldn't even make a noise in the back of his throat, it hurt so badly. And he was completely alone.

What had happened?

All of the protection and guards he'd built for himself started to crumble. _Don't._ The voice tired to comfort him. _Be strong. It'll be all right. Give yourself some time to think- you can't do this now._

It was comforting to hear the voice. But even though it made a sound, it didn't produce the kind he could use in the sonar.

He had no idea how long he spent his time like that, amongst the nothingness, trying to establish some sort of connection. He drifted off often, not alwyas by his own doing though.

All of this came down to the fact that he was separated from the world around him, separated from the power. He'd failed to heed a warning. Was he being punished?

He could barely breathe, he felt as if he was choking. But he realized that that wasn't the situation; he was starting to cry.

But before that could happen, he caught the faintest of smells- ones he'd noticed before just after reaching the peaks of his turmoil.

Leo turned his head, a strenuous effort. Yes, it was a smell. But not a good one. It was a dangerous smell… but a nice smell.

A sleepy smell…

Soon, his breathing began to regulate. A part of him was still scared to death, but for now, it was outweighed by an inner sense of calm.

He had a mental picture of bats flying into walls, dying. He couldn't remember where it came from, but he now thought that it might have had something to do with him.

And then there was a new voice. Once, it had come out of his mouth. This voice remembered a lot of things. And it wasn't very happy.

It and the first voice were arguing about what was happening here in the dark. Neither of them liked it, and that seemed to be why the second voice had came. It sounded like they knew each other.

While Leo was sure they had interesting things to say, they sounded busy. And he couldn't get the picture of the bats out of his head.

_As long as you aren't the bat,_ this second voice told him, sounding so dark and rough, _everything's going to be okay._

Nodding, Leo began to slip into an inner black.

The first voice was still there, but the second was starting to blend with Leo himself, as the first had not so long ago.

Alone, hurt, afraid.

Angry, betrayed, angry, betrayed.

So betrayed.

&&&&&

Ahem… Yeah. I'll be applying some psychology to this later, but can anyone guess what kind of voice we're talking about here?

The way the voice sounds is like Leo did during the majority of the fourth season. And no, I won't be bringing any of that up. It's just similar emotions, really. And it's all really complicated. (sighs)

Also, this is not a destructive voice. You'll see what I mean eventually.

So yeah, Leo's gonna be in that unit for a while, poor guy.

But next time, be prepared for the return of X97! Wahoo!

That's all I can give away for now. But thanks for reading! Now please review!


	13. Shadows Come to Play

I forgot about this chapter! No! I want to write the one after this, but that will ruin it. Ah man.

Oh well. I'll make it good. I've just put more thought into the others.

So without further ado, I will start it. Here be Chapter 13 of Infection. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. You will not see my name anywhere implying that when you see the movie.

&&&&&

"I want a status report. _Now_," Agent Bishop said, startling half of his men in the observation room.

Leonardo had been in the sensory deprivation chamber now for seven hours. The government agent was uncomfortable with leaving any of the infected unguarded in this manner for so long.

Doctor Stockman, who was also in the room, rotating between the projects he was in charge of, was unaffected by his superior's noticeable edginess. He barely gave him a glance before turning back to his work.

A blonde man gestured to a screen. He and this small team had been monitoring Leonardo's condition closely through the microscopic sensors built into the walls of the containment unit. They measured sound waves, heat, and motion.

"We've had to sedate him six times now. When he awakes, he's conscious for no more than thirty minutes at a time. Often he'll go to sleep on his own. But he's getting very anxious," The man said. "He'll fidget, as much as his restraints allow. We usually don't trigger the gas though until the sound detectors pick up something. He cries, tries to speak."

"Do we have audio of that?" Bishop asked. He wanted to know everything they could about Leonardo.

A redhead scientist moved away from his computer. "I'm working on making it out."

Bishop nodded. "And what of body temperature?"

"When he was put in," the blonde operative said, "He had an astonishing temperature of one hundred and five point three degrees Fahrenheit. Considering turtles are cold-blooded, we're considering that to be well beyond his typical range."

"We don't even know their typical range," An Asian doctor put in, typing some things into his computer.

"I've been monitoring his brother. The one called…" A female doctor with flowing, raven hair looked up the information. "Michelangelo. He just came in with a temperature of ninety-nine point one, a significant difference, but once again, still high considering they're cold-blooded reptiles. I think the other two came in around the lower nineties when Doctor Stockman examined them."

Agent Bishop turned his head to his scientist. Stockman turned. "That would be a correct statement. I would, of course, have to consult my findings for the exact readings."

"What's his current body temperature?"

"It's lowered some," The woman said. "Not to any level it would for a normal-sized turtle; were that the case, he'd be dead by now. I think it has something to do with their mutation. They seem to be able to keep a steady body temperature. It's lower than any human's, and more susceptible to changes in the atmosphere, but very different. He's reached ninety-one point three degrees- if we let him stay in there any longer under these conditions, he could very well become hypothermic. We need to warm him up. We can keep him under heavy sedation."

Bishop was hesitant about this. No, he didn't want to lose one of his most valuable specimens, but letting Leonardo out was a safety risk.

Stockman stepped away. "If I may? We _do_ need to get the probes into him, to monitor his internal developments. This needs to be done as soon as possible, and we might as well kill two birds with one stone."

Straightening his tie, Bishop gave his approval. "Very well, doctor," He paused. "How is the item I requested?"

"In progression. It'd be much easier if I didn't have so many things to take care of," The scientist hinted. "Do you want the cure in two days or not?"

"That's why I brought in Leatherhead, Doctor Stockman," Bishop said, walking out of the room. "But I'd hope that geniuses such as yourself could multi-task."

&&&&&

If you stare at the darkness long enough, look straight into it and watch it, impossible as it sounds, it gets inkier still. There are levels and shades beyond black, and if you can see them, you're either dead or dying.

He watched this, squirming a little. The places of his body that weren't numb were in pain, his chest, especially. As it died down, he tried to recall his name. His brother seemed to have called him by it all the time… so long ago. Before this dark place. But now the word was fading.

_Leo._ The rough voice reminded him. That was right- it knew so much. _What's your problem?_ But it wasn't very nice.

'I'm scared', he tried to say, but couldn't move his mouth.

The new voice reacted as if it'd heard it anyways. _So don't be. Fight back_.

Leo looked into the nothingness. _I can't_. He thought. The voices seemed to be able to read his mind. They had more power than he- and it hadn't been taken away from them_. Can't feel it… the power._ 'Gone', he tried to form the word, but to no avail.

Joining their conversation, the first voice, so friendly and light, put in, _It's still there. Remember what you first learned- everything makes a sound._

Before Leo could ask what the voice had meant, the turtle smelt something strange. Though his memory had been failing him lately, he knew what was coming next.

Yet he didn't. It happened faster, taking him out with a speed he hadn't been expecting. In seconds he was gone, in a darkness incomparable; a darkness that only unconsciousness can provide.

The voices were there too, following him down, for it seemed he could sink even deeper.

_You could've tried_, The new one accused him. _Fought this thing that puts you to sleep_.

The first had little to say lately.

_Yeah. I could've_. Leo thought, growing so tired. Tired in body, and tired of everyone hurting him.

He could see his two friends, the luminescent one watching on, and this new figure, a gray cloud amongst the black- visible, but dark in itself. Like the one before it, this one was also featureless.

Glowing, the original voice sank with him. _Then why didn't you? It is not as difficult as you think._ It was not as denouncing as it's counterpart.

_I don't know how_, Leo responded. My _power's been taken from me. I can't feel it_.

_Everything makes a sound_, The luminescent one repeated. _The greatest part of the power depends on your senses, sight and hearing in particular, and as long as you can hear something, you will have both through your sonar. And everything makes a sound_.

The dark one leapt in front of them. They were slowing down now, reaching the descent of the darkness. Leo could barely concentrate. _You will learn,_ the gray figure assured him.

Leo looked it over, it's figure blurring. He'd listened to him for the past six hours, but knew little of him. The white figure had made itself known to be a teacher and guide long ago. _What are you supposed to be?_

It brought it's featureless face inches from the turtle's own. _The thing that makes sure you don't get hurt; that gives you what you want. Just a shadow of yourself, come out to play._

It's voice was frightening- but alluring… overpowering. _You will learn_. It said again. _It is simple. You know you have an edge in your power, something that none of the others have. Are you willing to use it?_

Sinking… sinking… sinking. Leo nodded, unable to focus on anything else.

In his physical world, despite the tape covering his mouth, he spoke so softly that the words came out. "The power…"

&&&&&

"Relax," A doctor told Michelangelo as he adjusted the restraints on the turtle's arms with gloved hands, sounding uninterested. "We rotate our specimens- five stay here for six hours or so, then we send them to that observation room you saw earlier. Aren't you lucky- time's up," The man looked at a guard. "Get him out of here."

Mikey could barely understand what the man had told him, he was so drugged. The young ninja remembered little of what had happened in these long, six hours, but he knew that it had hurt. His skin was sore and his muscles hurt. He was so tired.

But he'd learned some things. The voice whispered in his ear as four guards, their hands gloved like the doctor's, practically dragged him away to that room.

He was always learning.

&&&&&

"So?" Raph asked impatiently. "What's the story?"

Leatherhead took a deep, melancholic breath. "I am sorry, my friends," He told the two turtles, along with Master Splinter. "Besides the information they are giving me pertaining to creating a cure for the infection, I am being kept as much in the dark as the three of you. I do not even know the whereabouts of Michelangelo or Leonardo."

Don looked up, his suspicion button having been hit ten times in the last second. "What do you mean? They're not in the observation room?"

"No- at least, not where I can see them. I was told that I would be provided with some of their medical information soon, but so far, nothing has come through. And just now, I have been removed from my studies like a child," The crocodile's eyes flashes and he snarled. "I warned you; these fiends are not to be trusted."

Being careful not to touch him, Master Splinter caught Leatherhead's attention. "We are left with little option, my friend. Please, if you learn of anything relating to my sons, let us know."

"Of course, Master Splinter," Leatherhead said, bowing his head. "I just wish I could be of more help to you."

The purple-clad turtle watched Raphael pace the room. "There must be _somebody_ in here who can tell us somethin'! With a little persuasion, or…" He growled in frustration. "Something!"

_X97_. Don thought, recalling the poor alien kept here at the base. He looked up suddenly. "Raph, that's it!"

"What?" His brother asked.

"Remember that alien I went to talk to? I never did finish our conversation. He might not know where Mike and Leo are, but he's bound to know what's happening to them. As far as the infection goes, anyways. And if we can figure out that, than we might be able to figure out what Bishop is doing with them."

Leatherhead nodded. "Yes, if Agent Bishop allows you to speak with him again."

"Oh, he will," Don said, smiling. "Especially if I bring Raphael."

The three looked at him quizzically, but Donny just smiled.

&&&&&

Eyes wide with surprise, the soldier backed up. "Step back! Didn't you hear me? This is your final warning?" He shouted.

"Listen, pal," Raph said, throwing a staged but felt tantrum. He walked up to the man and stuck a finger in his face. _Ya wimp. I ain't even contagious yet._ "We've been sittin' around for hours now and I'm gettin' sick and tired of it! I want to know what the hell's happening to my brothers! I want to see them!"

The operative blanched. "I don't have authorization to do that," He said, "Now take a step back," He repeated, but it came out shaky.

Raph's eyes narrowed. "All right, you asshole."

As the turtle's fist winded back, right on cue, the fly they were waiting for walked into their web. "Be careful, Raphael," Bishop warned. "The last time you harassed my men, you were sent off to dreamland," He gestured to the scene. "Is this going to become a habit?"

Pushing the operative away, the ninja folded his arms over his chest and eyed his brother before he looked back at Bishop. "If they don't stop feeding us this line of garbage, yeah."

"I see," Bishop said, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "And may I ask just what you are doing out here?"

Last Raph had checked, they were permitted to walk between their room and the one LH was working in. Even if they couldn't enter that one now, the hallway was still all right.

He nearly said so, but Don spoke first. "Trying to figure out what's happening. You took Mikey and Leo over six hours ago and none of us know what's happened to them since."

"I have different research teams examining them. Because of the stages of infection they're in, Leonardo especially, they must be handled carefully. You will be able to see Michelangelo in another few hours or so, through the observation room."

"What about Leo?" Raph snapped.

"Contact with your older brother is ill advisable at this point. However… I do plan on speaking with him tomorrow, under controlled circumstances," He paused. "Depending on your behavior, you may be permitted to watch."

Don raised an eye ridge. "_Controlled_ circumstances? How is that possible? I mean," His look hardened, "Obviously, you're going to have him so drugged you'll barely learn anything worthwhile from him. But even so, how can you control his abilities?"

"We have a method," Bishop said. "But you won't be witnessing it, or seeing your brother at all if I keep seeing stunts like this."

"We're just trying to be useful, understand something at least," Don said. "You aren't telling us much at all- can you blame Raph for his behavior? From when we first met, I thought you knew us so well."

Bishop kept his hands clasped behind his back. "What are you insinuating, Donatello?"

"Why not let me take Raph to see X97? He talked to me, remember? Maybe I can learn something- and we'll be out of your hair."

Raph frowned. Had Bishop tensed up at the mention of the alien's name?

The government agent, looked away, thinking this over, then nodded. "Yes… I think this is a good idea. Indeed. Braff," Bishop addressed the operative, "Escort them to X97's cell."

The turtle blinked. That was simple. So simple.

As they were lead away by the hypochondriac soldier, Raph glanced over his shoulder. _What are you up to, Bishop? _

&&&&&

In the private section of the base, Agent Bishop walked over to the doors. His team, along with Doctor Stockman, were waiting there. After consideration, he dismissed the four armed men there as well, having them wait outside.

Were this not to work, he didn't want Leonardo to have any weapons.

They'd prepared for this in a mere forty-five minutes. It was all the time they could afford. All the equipment was ready and every showing piece of their skin that could be touched was either covered in layers of clothing or in latex.

This group happened to be curious about the infection, but they weren't about to enjoy the experience first hand.

A hospital bed was waiting by. They'd move the turtle on to it in just a few minutes. "Report," Bishop stated.

"He's still out cold," The woman said, showing him the heat images from inside the room on a small screen. Numbers traveled by below. "If his heart and breathing are to be trusted, anyways. They're remarkably slow. He'll be sleeping for a while.

"Good," Bishop said. "How long will we need to keep him out?"

"We turned off the cooling unit," The Asian doctor said. "His temperature has risen a degree or so- and that's when the temperature of the room hasn't even gotten close to normal yet. I think fifteen minutes will be all right."

"And we can get the probes in?"

"Of course," The redhead stated. Away from his computer, he was a fairly large man.

Looking over this information twice, and finally approving it, Bishop looked up. "Very well. Bring him out."

The thin blonde man, who'd shown him and Stockman the chamber before, was closest to the keypad and slid in his card, entered his four-digit password, and placed his thumbprint on the scanner.

The doors opened with a _hiss_ and Bishop felt a breeze of cool air much like the sensation one feels upon walking into a cooler at a store to fetch some beer.

Two men, the Asian scientist and the large man, went in and brought Leonardo out. He was limp in their arms, head lolling with their movement, limbs lax.

Placed onto the cot, he was examined quickly. Pulse in time with the monitors in the room- yes. Same for the breathing. Temperature just as it had read last. None of their equipment was performing improperly.

First, they set up a different monitor, one that checked brain waves, to see how their subject was doing. Set up, it showed he was in REM sleep, the level where dreams occur and the deepest of the set. Stage Four was safe, and Stage Three would be too. But Bishop was taking no risks. He didn't want the turtle getting to Stages One or Two, much less waking up.

A lamp that was attached to the base of the bed was put over Leonardo and turned on, to warm him up. It reminded Bishop of the tanning beds he saw on commercials. They took off the bonds over his hands and ankles and the tape covering his mouth. It would need to be replaced anyways; so many attempts at speaking, crying, or whatever he had done had nearly peeled it.

Twelve minutes went by and Leonardo remained in REM sleep. Stockman was monitoring, with complaints, of course, his temperature as it rose. "There, he's reached the same temperature he'd have if he were normal and healthy. Like that will last long. Can I go now? I have much more important things to take care of."

"Not yet, Stockman," Bishop said. "We're almost done here. Three minutes more. Are the probes ready?"

The Asian man looked at him, the implement used to insert them in his hands. "Yes."

Five shots; four probes a shot, snet into the body to relay images of the organs that would make the ones people awed over now look like cartoon sketches. When they were done with them, the probes would find their way out of the body the natural way.

Getting them in was reasonably more difficult. They'd only had to use this device three times before. Every subject had found it painful.

Everyone looked at the woman. She smiled. "Still sleeping as soundly as a baby."

"Nevertheless, Monroe," The thin man told her, "Have the sedatives ready," He looked at the Asian. "Wong, position the device for the first shot."

Agent Bishop had researched this and been present for every time the procedure had been done. Always, the most painful of the five areas, in this situation, the neck, was done first. It made the ones to follow seem easier.

The tool, a long and thin, silver device with a black handle, was placed to the side of Leonardo's neck. There was a silver button on the handle, and carefully, Wong, as Bishop learned his name was, put his thumb over the button. Glancing at Bishop, who gave him the go-ahead, he pushed it, releasing them into the turtle's body.

Leonardo jolted on the table, eyes squeezed shut, gasping. The probes were no larger than the tip of a pencil, and tore the skin little, but rushing through the body as fast as they were sent, Bishop could see why it was so painful.

Eventually, the turtle relaxed and they looked at his vitals. He was still in Stage Four of the sleep cycle. Very lucky.

Wong moved the device to the upper half of Leonardo's left side, between the carapace and the plastron, where the flesh was soft. This was imperative if they wanted to study the activity inside his chest cavity.

He moaned. They hadn't done anything, but he moaned.

Bishop frowned, recalling what Stockman had showed him involving Coombs. "Let's make this quick."

Nodding, Wong fired the probes into the ninja's side, and without hesitation, moved it to the lower part and fired again.

Leo cried out in his disrupted sleep, jolting again. They watched as his vitals changed. He progressed to Stage Three.

They still had time. "Get the sedative ready," Bishop warned the woman, Monroe.

Nodding, she filled three syringes as Wong passed the tool to the blonde doctor.

Setting it against the upper half of his right side, he fired four probes into him. Leo shuddered, but didn't cry out. Like he'd been expecting it. The monitor still showed Stage Three.

"Sedate him now," Bishop ordered.

Confused, the raven-haired doctor put the syringe against Leonardo's neck and injected the contents. He twitched at that.

Bishop's sunglasses slowly slid up the bridge of his nose. He hadn't touched them.

He watched the screen. It was the fastest thing he'd ever seen. Stage Two, Stage One. And then, Leonardo was awake, hovering in the field of consciousness.

The other two syringes rose into the air, one flying into the blonde doctor and the other into the Asian one. The woman cried out, pulling the needle out of Leonardo, as she was pushed back by an invisible force into the wall behind her.

Leo opened his eyes and turned his head, words slurred from his condition and the drugs. "How's it feel… when it's yer turn…?"

More things began to move; the screws in the lamp, the lamp itself. Bishop's tie untied itself, much to his surprise. The tool flew into the air, but the redhead caught it as Leonardo lost his control over it.

All of these things dropped along with the turtle's head onto the cot as he fell back quickly into a deep, REM sleep.

Bishop picked up his tie and put it back around his neck as the two guards, having heard the commotion, came running in. "Take them to their temporary quarter's, where they can rest," The agent ordered them. He looked at the woman. "Are you all right, Doctor Monroe?"

She rubbed her left shoulder before setting her hands down. "Yes."

He looked at the redhead. "Finish the job. Then put back on his restraints and throw him back in the chamber. We'll be more careful next time, when I interrogate him."

He heard the shot as it entered Leonardo's body. The turtle rocked slightly, but did not move otherwise.

Only when he was restrained again, thrown into the chamber and the doors shut, did Bishop walk away.

And he breathed easier when he did.

&&&&&

His brother eyed the room in disdain. "What do they do? Wash the walls everyday with Clorox?" He asked sarcastically.

Don snickered. "When I first came in, I thought it was toothpaste," His face grew somber as he spotted the alien in the back and lead Raph over to him. "Raphael," He spoke quietly, "This is X97. X97, this is one of my brothers, Raphael. We were hoping we could talk to you for a bit."

The alien's large eyes regarded the second turtle carefully. He had been mistreated here, so Don didn't blame him for being hesitant. Eventually, he nodded and gestured for them to sit down with his long, gray-brown fingers.

"It's pleasing that you have returned to speak with me, Donatello," X97 said. "Since Alex left, things have been lonely."

Once again, Don was impressed with how well this alien spoke English. It made conversing a lot easier.

"Sorry to hear that," Don said. "If I could get you out of here, I would."

Raph nodded. "So… ya know stuff about this infection?"

X97 bowed his head, affirming this. "As I told your brother, on my planet, it is no worse than your common cold," He scratched one of his fins. "I remember you said something about a particular brother. Did you find him?"

"Yes," Don told him. "I was able to track him down. But Agent Bishop took him and our other brother somewhere else in this facility. They won't let us see them or help. That's part of the reason we came. I wish I could say it was a social visit, but we were hoping we could learn something… anything, from you."

The grey alien folded his fingers over his gaunt stomach. "Before you left, we were speaking of the other elements of the power. I still am unaware of what you would call it, but I believe I could describe it-"

"The telekinesis?" Raph asked. "Yeah, we figured that out. Anything else?"

"Much of what I know you have learned," He paused in thought. "The larger aspects, anyhow. Donatello, I spoke to you of how the voice that instructs them comes from the unconscious part of the mind. But the unconscious is a large space, we must agree. It is on my world, anyway. It tends to effect certain parts of the… forgive me. I've learned much of your language, but some words are still difficult."

Don thought he knew what the alien was getting at. "The psyche. Yeah, I noticed that. The ego in particular," He'd seen a lot of that back in New York.

X97 mouthed these words, seeming to commit them to memory. "Very interesting. Well this… _ego_ you speak of shows itself, during the infection, in the darker half of one's self. From what I am hearing, on this planet, it's quite common. Very sad. This is the side that is concerned mostly with survival of the emotional state to a point where hatred and distrust abound within it. It also likes to get what it wants and influences the person so. It remembers many things and uses this against its enemies. Unlike this dark side, the other voice you may hear is based on morals. It doesn't care to hurt anyone, and though it too knows what inner turmoil is like, its tactics are different. It chooses to avoid the pain instead of rid itself of it. It takes itself on to be a protector. It knows right and wrong, and it survives by following its gut."

"So," Raph said, "Each of these infected people have one of these guys talking in their heads?"

Don could see the worry on his face. When reason failed, who was to say which one Raph would listen too?

"Yes," X97 answered. "Always one. For two to exist at the same time, the 'infected' as you call them, would never know what to do. It's never happened before, and would have to take an extreme situation for the second part to join the first. Needless to say, though this is impossible, the outcome would be unpredictable."

&&&&&

The dark place. He was back in the dark place again.

Leo awoke, teeth chattering. It was cold again. It was always cold in here, but he felt he'd been warmer before.

There was nothing... absolutely nothing but the knowledge that something was out there. He just couldn't reach it.

He hated this place.

The turtle recalled little of what had happened. Just the pain as something had entered his body, over and over again. If the pain in his chest weren't bad enough, that was the icing on the cake.

_That wasn't so hard_. The shadow said. _But you could've done better. Now you're still in here, powerless._

_I tried_. Leo thought. He had, and the feeling of the power flowing within him again had been so thrilling, gratifying.

It wasn't gone. In fact, he'd gotten stronger.

_You're not powerless_, The luminescent one said. _Even you make sounds, Leonardo. Turn your hearing within you. _

Now the shadow was silent at this. Curious, Leo did just that. He heard his breathing and watched it, through the sonar, spread throughout the chamber. But it wasn't enough. The room was bigger.

He tuned up his sense of hearing louder. _Thump-thump. Thump-thump_.

He smiled.

&&&&&

That was a long chapter, but I feel I accomplished little!

But none of you tell me that! I got a lot done! And I hope you like it!

I had to make up some things. Like, I don't think it's ever been revealed what the guys' exact body temperature it is and how it works. But that sounded good to me.

And if any of you are wondering, yes, he can go from such extreme drops and highs, etc. It's part of the infection. Like, a human with this infection can have a temperature of one hundred and eight degrees and walk around typically okay until some of the other things kick in. It does make them tired, but there's a reason for that, too.

And I hope you found the sensory deprivation chamber to be realistic. I decided that I was going to be noble and, since I could find such little information on that topic, create a rudememntary version for myself. My parents misheard me and left me in there longer... I won't do that again.

But to make a long story short, the way Leo describes it is the way I felt it. So, yeah.

Next chapter will definitely be good, so stay tuned. I have some major action planned.

Please review!


	14. Escape

It's finally happened. I typed for so long without a break that my hands have become part of the keyboard!

…Cool huh? It'll make eating difficult, but that might be good for me.

I'm kidding! Anyways, I better let you get to reading. I've been daydreaming about this chapter for months now- it's good to have it written out.

Oh, and in case none of you can't recall, Leo will be entering Day 11 in this chapter, Mikey- Day 6, and Raph and Splinter Day 4.

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: (bound to a chair) (reads copied print before her) I, Pi90katana, do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Saying so is not only a violation of copyright infringement, but it also does not make sense, considering the TMNT were created six years before my birth. (yells) I could've traveled back in time!

&&&&&

Massaging his skull, Raph tried to follow the information X97 was telling them. Was he really actually saying anything useful? The turtle couldn't tell. He wasn't an idiot- he was actually quite intelligent. Maybe not like Don, but how many turtles could steer and properly take care of a motorcycle, much less count past two?

The stuff his brother and this alien were discussing though just wasn't his area of expertise, or interest, for that matter. Raph put in a sentence here and there, asking questions with interest because he really did want to know what was happening; wanted to know how to help his brothers. But it was easier just to listen.

Except for when the stupid headache acted up again.

It was the first sign. He knew it. And in less than two days, he'd be smart enough to do Stockman's job for him.

But he still had those two days.

The alien folded his hands together. "I remember my young daughter- back on my world," He was silent for a moment, lost in memories. "She was always so sickly, probably still is today. And she threw such tantrums when she was ill. During those weeks, her mother and I always had to take care that she slept little," He chuckled, "The more Nikiri slept, the more we had to clean up when she awoke."

Raph frowned. "Wait a minute," He said, looking confused. "Aren't people supposed to get more rest when they're sick? I thought it was good for them."

X97 explained. "Typically, yes. But not with the infection." He paused, seeing they'd come across another bridge that had yet to be cleared on both sides. "One of the main reasons why the infected sleep, besides the fever of course, is because that is how they learn. The voice, whichever it may be, teaches them constantly, but more information is given in a state of unconsciousness. When they rest, it is fast and deep. Coming out of their sleep is typically a slow process, unless the infected person feels they're in danger."

Nodding in understanding, Don adjusted his position. "I remember that. When I was bringing Leo here, he kept on asking to go to sleep. When I let him on the helicopter, he drifted right off. Getting him up was a bit more difficult. He was a bit different afterwards-"

The door opened and the same guard from earlier looked in at them. "I was instructed by Agent Bishop to inform you that if you wanted to see your brother, this is the time. Doctor Stockman and…" He tested the name; "Leatherhead will be very busy later."

After a second or two with no word from X97, Raph stood. "All right. We're comin'," He said as he moved to the door, nodding his head in thanks to the alien. When he got there, he saw his brother hesitating. "Yo, Donny. You coming?"

"Yeah," Don said. "I'm right behind you."

&&&&&

"Ballenger, are you seeing this?" Monroe addressed the red-haired doctor as Bishop entered the room.

The man walked over. "And what, may I ask, is so interesting?"

Surprised, the woman stood right up. It must've been good news, or at least a development in the study, for she smiled. "Agent Bishop, sir. The probes we sent into the turtle's body have just begun their video transmissions. It's rather exciting."

The one called Ballenger motioned to the screen. Each of the units sent into the body could act as a single camera, or, if given the order, they could be separated and travel to other areas in their region. "Only two of the twenty we sent in were damaged- which is pretty damn lucky for us. The first unit isn't quite at the section we want yet; it'll be another few hours before it reaches his hypothalamus. But we got the feed we wanted of the heart and the lungs. See for yourself."

Bishop examined the heart. As the autopsies of Coombs and Jacobsen had shown, that organ was unaffected. They hadn't expected to find anything, but it was always something to be examined.

He watched the turtle's heart beat on the monitor. The rhythm was slow; even with the cold, the only justification for this would be that Leonardo was sleeping now. The organ pulsed, the blood vessels standing out clearly against the tissue.

The command was given for the cameras to separate and they were sent within the heart itself, carefully, so as not to harm the specimen. Soon, they were seeing images of a canyon-like right ventricle.

All was normal here. Completely normal. Bishop didn't need to see any more of this organ. _Very interesting. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it almost looked human. _

Actually, unless he were to compare a human heart side by side to Leonardo's, Bishop probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. It was one of the things he hated about these medical studies. They led so many of his best scientists away from their work.

If it weren't for rare situations like these, he wouldn't even have such a branch in the Earth Protection Force. Their job was protecting the planet from this alien scum, not examining them.

So the only time this sort of thing was done was when a virus was leaked out into public, as had happened only three times now, or when the alien itself was dead.

"Let's see the lungs," He said in a bored manner. He knew these two doctors would come back to the heart later; examine the aortic valve and the ventricles more closely, as was their job. Hopefully, they wouldn't be led astray.

Leonardo wasn't human. He was far from it.

But it was rather strange. The turtle, in some aspects, looked as human on the inside, as Bishop did on the outside; clothed in an alien-like skin while Bishop's own subhuman characteristics were trapped within him.

Clicking a button, Monroe got the transmissions of the lungs. Again, the heart could still be seen slightly, nestled in between the two.

When one saw this picture, they'd see the pleural sacs around the lungs, which provide room for the organs to move. The sacs were smooth, with a low friction surface.

What they were seeing was anything but normal. Purple and green bacteria covered the sacs like a spider's web; only scarce parts of them were still exposed, a normal healthy color making them visible.

It was creating difficulty on the lungs, already- constricting the pleural sacs inward and making it difficult for the turtle to breathe in. He was still doing all right now, as they could see, but that would change soon.

"Can we get in there?" Bishop asked, indicating the inside of the lungs.

Monroe bit her lip. "Maybe. We have a probe positioned by his windpipe, but we'd have to be careful.

"Do it," He said

She switched to a different image. It reminded the government agent of looking into a long tube, or a giant hole that went on forever. The camera moved downwards, carefully along the tube. Ballenger monitored the turtle himself- it would be a shame if he choked now. What a waste of time and resources.

Progress was slow- the breathing hindered it. But it was still easy enough. And soon, they were at the junction of the two lungs.

"Send it to the right lung," Ballenger said. "It looked worse. We can come back to the other one later."

On the screen, the probe shifted to the right. The inside of the lung was starting to show signs, too. The bacteria had actually gone _through_ the pleural sacs and the tissue; small particles were clinging to the walls of the lung.

"Why doesn't it affect anything else?" Monroe asked. "The heart, the liver- any of the other organs. This disease is spread by touch, so how does it end up at only the brain and the lungs?"

"That alien lived through this," Ballenger theorized. "His whole race probably can survive this thing. Maybe with more time, it _would_ get to the other organs. Humans just die before that point."

Bishop folded his hands behind his back. "Which is _exactly_ why we need to take care of this _now._ For all we know, this could be a manufactured infection. If the aliens were to invade and infect us all, they could roam free without fear of dying while we'd all perish," He told them, trying to strike the image into their heads, make them remember which side they were on in the case they were faltering.

Checking his watch, he saw it was time to go down to meet the other turtles. "Notify me of any new developments," He parted, leaving the room.

&&&&&

Waking up from his slumber, Michelangelo grinned. Everything was sharper- the sights and the sounds. They didn't drive him crazy now; it was like he'd lived his whole life with these heightened senses.

Mikey glanced down at the IV in his arm. The fluid in it was being pushed inside him and it hurt a little. But whatever it was made him feel _really _good.

In the window, he saw… one of the doctors. It took him several minutes to pull the name 'Stockman' out of his memory. The scientist was working in the lab. The doors to the room opened quickly and in came Bishop.

How fun would it be to listen in on their conversations? Could he do that?

_Of course you can. _The voice reminded him.

Laying his head back, Mikey increased his hearing and soon the two voices became audible.

Bishop: "Doctor Stockman."

Stockman: "Ah, Agent Bishop. You're here early. Come to make sure our lab turtles behave themselves?"

Bishop: "Not as much as I'm here to let them know that we still hold all the cards. Is the item ready?"

Stockman: "It's in about the same stage it was the _last_ time you asked." There was a pause, then a sigh. "It will be complete in the next few minutes- well before you're little interrogation with Leonardo tomorrow."

Bishop: "And you're sure it'll work properly?"

Stockman: "From what I've seen with our other subjects, yes."

Bishop: "Make sure of it, Stockman. I want no mistakes."

Their conversation wasn't as interesting as he'd thought it would be. Part of him was convinced their words meant something important, but it made little sense to him.

He heard the door open, and soon his brothers' voices followed.

Mikey smiled, receding back into his room. His family was here? Oh that was wonderful! They'd understand it, he was sure. And they could help Leo.

But by the time they were in his quarantined room, he'd already forgotten.

&&&&&

When Don entered the room, Stockman looked up at him before, uninterested, he turned back to his work. He moved an oval-like metal object with a flattened base off of a stack of papers, placing the paperweight to his side and out of sight.

Master Splinter and Leatherhead seemed to have also been brought here. Don bowed his head in respect towards his Sensei before looking through the window, searching for Mikey.

He found his room. His little brother was awake, lying on the floor. He looked like he was thinking over something serious, but soon the expression started to clear into one of relaxation.

Bishop turned around to see them. "Right on time. As you know, we're very busy. I promised you could see Michelangelo, but only as long as it doesn't interfere with our progress in fighting this infection."

Donatello looked at him as he spoke. He was enjoying this- showing them that he could keep them under his thumb. They wouldn't fight back, not with so much at stake.

The government agent straightened his tie. "You are not to leave the room without authorization. If you wish to leave, knock on the door and one of the guards will let you out. You have two hours."

Apparently done speaking to them, the man left the room.

Stockman looked at some of the papers. "Rather to the point, isn't he?" He said, not bothering to glance away from his work. "Leatherhead, the lab has just sent in the first analysis's on the blood samples of the subjects. We should get to work on the cure- unless you have something better to do," He said tauntingly.

Leatherhead's eyes flashed, but he calmed down, looking at the three of them he nodded. "Go on, my friends. It is best I stay here- we can not leave the lives of your brothers in the hands of these monsters."

Chuckling, Stockman turned towards him. "Cry me a river, crocodile," He looked at them. "You're still here? The door is right out the hall- the guards will direct you the rest of the way."

Raph's fists tightened, but he turned out of the room. "Save some for me, LH," He said.

Shaking his head, Master Splinter bowed to Leatherhead and also left, Don following.

The door was easy enough to find. It led to a long hallway with a low ceiling, rows of doors on their right, each guarded by one of Bishop's operatives. One of the men stepped forward, very military-like. "Right here," He called them over.

When they arrived, he took out a key and opened the door. "You've been instructed as to our procedure?"

Splinter nodded. "Yes."

"Good." The door swung open. The man gestured with his hand inwards. When they were all inside, he nodded and shut the door. Don heard the _click_ as it was locked once more.

Mikey moved into a sitting position and grinned. "Hey," He paused. "There was somethin' I was s'posed to tell you…" He slurred. "Can't remember now."

"That's okay," Don told him as they all gathered around him. "Don't worry about it, bro."

Master Splinter placed his hand onto Mikey's shoulder. "How are you feeling, my son?"

"Nice," The turtle said. "Kinda boring in here though. When can I come out?"

"Soon, bro. They just gotta figure out this thing- then we can all go home," Raph told him.

"Really? All of us?"

Don nodded. "Of course. We wouldn't leave without you or Leo."

Mikey frowned. "But that lady's sayin' they're not done with him yet."

Pausing, Don looked at him. "What lady?"

"Oh… some lady. She's talking far away. She says they haven't finished the tests, that they need to take him out later for an MRI," He was quiet for a second. "But this guy just told her they did one before they put him in… and the results'll be there in a few minutes."

He felt a sense of dread in his stomach. Raph shared the same feeling, obviously. "Put him where?" His brother pressed.

Don could understand taking him out of a room, if it were one like this. But people usually, but the way Mike was conveying the word 'put in' made it sound like… something different.

And if Leo posed such a safety risk, as they'd been told, why would they even chance bringing him out at all?

Shrugging, Mikey scooted back a little. "I dunno. They're not talkin' anymore."

The purple-clad turtle frowned. He was getting a bad feeling about this.

&&&&&

Doctor Monroe looked through the results of Leonardo's MRI, Stockman watching them too, over her shoulder. He could hear the woman mutter under her breath that she should be kept better informed around here, but the scientist could care less.

The excuse he'd given Leatherhead was that he needed to pick up a few sensitive materials for the cure- materials he would bring back, of course. But he had more jobs than one here, and overseeing these buffoons was one of them.

What they were seeing was very common among schizophrenics. The hippocampus was smaller now and the lateral ventricles in Leonardo's brain were larger than they should've been. The ventricles, when shown from a certain angle, tended to look like a butterfly. A small butterfly was normal, but the turtle's had clearly gotten larger.

But where tissue should've been lost, all was the same. As Stockman looked over this anomaly, he determined that, in theory, were the cure to work, everything would reverse back to normal in time, leaving none of the infected with this mental illness.

Below him, Monroe frowned and lifted the images. Now, it was possible to tell where the brain was active during a hallucination. In everyone of these pictures, it could be seen that the hallucinations, be it voices or images, were nearly constant and located in various lobes of the brain- the frontal, in particular, but occasionally the parietal and temporal lobes as well.

But the woman wasn't looking at that. "What is this?" She asked, pointing to an area on the shot. "I've seen it in every view we've been given."

Stockman rolled his eyes. "Those are the lateral ventricles," He told her with a sigh. Honestly, one would think that Bishop could afford to find a team with at least _some_ basic knowledge of what they were working on.

"I know that. I mean hear, right in the center of them. There's something else."

Frowning, Stockman peered at the area closer.

Sure enough, right in the center of the butterfly was a dot- a piece of brain tissue that hadn't been there before.

He looked at the screen where the probes were gathering footage of the turtle's inside. "Are we in position to send the cameras to that region?" He asked Ballenger.

The man checked. "Yes. You want me to send one out to take a look?"

Nodding, Stockman walked over. "And make it quick."

Soon, the camera was there, moving within the cerebrospinal fluid within that cavity. And there it was- a small piece of tissue, coated in the same bacteria he'd collected off Coombs' lungs.

For a moment, it looked very dull. But then, before their eyes, not only did more bacteria form, it started glowing faintly, like a switch turned on.

Stockman began to wonder: Was this the source of the infection? Was it part of the brain itself, giving commands throughout the body- actually _sending_ the virus that was floating around it's host's system to the lungs?

And the way it glowed… was it the source of their abilities?

But no, that couldn't be. Leonardo couldn't access the power in his current state.

Still. He wondered.

&&&&&

Half-asleep, Leonardo was aware of everything in his body, these tiny probes included. Half of him realized that they were what had hurt him the day before, only he couldn't really remember that event well at all anymore, so it mattered little.

But they didn't belong there, traveling inside his body. He was tempted to crush them then and there.

_Do it, _the shadow said. It always created a sense of angry energy inside the turtle. A thrill, knowing what the power could do and that it belonged to him. _You know you want to._

_Perhaps you should focus on finding a way out. _The lighter voice counseled. _No harm is being done yet, and the situation at hand is far more serious._

Now able to tell with his sonar what the room looked like, Leo examined it. With every beat of his heart, it was clearer.

Soon, the sound traveled to a hole it had found on the far side. Cold, Leo turned his head.

Yes, there was a hole. But, even as strong as his sonar was, the sounds his heart made could not travel far enough to tell him what was down there.

Besides, he couldn't even move. He lacked the strength to go over there and find out for himself.

But when the sleepy smell came to him again, from that very hole itself, Leo knew he wouldn't have long to wait. They were going to let him out again.

He could be patient.

&&&&&

The next day, Raph awoke with the same headache. Frowning, he turned over in his bed, unable to see how, if Splinter really were on the same path as him, could the rat stand it.

Yesterday, they'd stayed with Mikey for as long as they could, trying to instill any amount of cheer in him. He apparently wasn't the one who needed it though for, despite his situation, he'd been as pleasant as an old lady watching_ The Antique Road Show_.

Getting up off his cot, Raph stretched his sore muscles and walked out of their temporary room. He was thirsty. Unfortunately, he didn't recall seeing a drinking fountain anywhere in this base.

Still, he walked about. He was sure there was something around here. God, he hadn't even really eaten since they came here, besides some sandwich.

As he got closer to the room Leatherhead had been working in, he caught movement to his left.

There were four people pushing something that looked like a fancy hospital gurney, following the orders of Agent Bishop.

Bishop looked at another hallway. "All right, take him to the interrogation room. Make sure to give him the mood stabilizers- just because he has to be awake for our little chat doesn't mean I want him aware of what we're doing."

The person on the gurney was his brother.

Angered, Raph charged forward. "Bishop!" He shouted as he made his way over to the man.

The government agent sighed before looking at him. "Yes, Raphael?"

Giving an Asian man who looked like he'd woken up on the wrong side of the bed a glare, he moved closer to his older brother. Leo was unconscious and his skin was cold to the touch.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Raph yelled, looking back up at Bishop.

"What needed to be done to ensure my men were out of danger. Your brother's abilities make him a threat. The proper measures must be taken so see that all turns out well."

"To hell with that!" Raph looked back down at Leo. 'Wait, where are you taking him?"

Bishop pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose. "As I told you and Donatello yesterday, I plan on having a discussion with him."

"You said we could be there- were you planning on doing this without us?"

"I believe I said it all depended on your behavior," Bishop replied. "I promised nothing." Nodding to his men, he said, "Take him."

Raph held onto the gurney, but before he could speak, the man looked at him. "You have five minutes to gather your family and get down to where we'll be. It's the second door on the left, down this hallway. If you're not there within that time, then it's your own damn fault."

Giving his brother one last look, the red-banded ninja backed away from the gurney, jaw set, and ran all the way back to his room.

&&&&&

The room was small- there were a few chairs positioned towards another window, much like the ones used in police interrogations. They could see Bishop and Leo, but their brother wouldn't be able to see them.

Donatello frowned and sat down. He and Splinter had gotten here as fast as they could. Raph had wanted to get Leatherhead too, but there'd been no time.

Stockman was in the room as well, right up next to the window, by a table, where a large device was sitting. He snorted when he saw them. "Of course. Agent Bishop let you in here- of course. Doesn't he realize how sensitive the situation is?"

Master Splinter tapped his cane. "Doctor Stockman, I thought you would be assisting Leatherhead in completing the cure for this infection?" He spoke, a minimal sense of annoyance in his tone.

The scientist adjusted his equipment. "I have many responsibilities here, rodent, and I perform them all well. You should be more concerned about trusting the cure to that crocodilian behemoth of yours."

"Leatherhead is more than fit for the task," Splinter said. "I suppose I should be relieved that you are not with him. Perhaps the cure will actually work properly."

Don nearly laughed. It wasn't like their Sensei to take shots like that, but when he did, they were always delivered perfectly.

Stockman snorted and turned back to his work, mumbling curses under his breath.

Looking into the next room through the window, the humor was lost. Leo was sitting in a chair at a long table there, one hand cuffed to the arm of the chair. He was asleep, head resting on the table and right hand lying to the side of his face, fingers curled slightly.

The door to that room opened and Agent Bishop stepped in.

Don blinked once. _What? _The man was carrying in that same paperweight he'd seen with Stockman yesterday. Why would he need that?

Placing the paperweight on the table, Bishop took a seat, folding his hands neatly atop of the table.

Two minutes later, Leo started to wake up.

&&&&&

Bishop watched the turtle, aware that he'd have to proceed with caution. With his family watching, this could get ugly.

But he was still in control here. They'd just have to deal with what was about to happen.

Slowly, Leo came to. Drowsily, he sat up. When the ninja saw the light, he cringed as if in pain.

"Sorry if it's a bit too bright in here," Bishop told him uncaringly.

The turtle cringed again, opening his mouth with a silent cry as the man spoke. He put his head back down on the table and began to breathe easier. "What do you want?"

Bishop grinned. "Oh, just to talk."

&&&&&

Leo wanted to scream. In the dark place, all of his senses had been heightened to their fullest capacity with no results.

Now, back in the real world, everything was being conveyed to him at full force. It was so bright, he wanted to tear out his eyes. When the man spoke, his voice echoed in his ears so loud that he thought his head would explode from the noise. The feel of the metal chair beneath his skin irritated him to no end and the smells in the room made him want to gag.

He turned it all down, trying to reach a balance. God, it hurt. Ironically, he almost wanted to go _back_ to the dark place, if only this would all stop.

Eventually he could respond. "What about?"

"Oh, everything. The power, your voice. It's all very fascinating, Leonardo. We have much to learn from you."

The turtle sat up and opened his eyes. The light bled in but it didn't hurt as much anymore.

"I don't really feel like talking," He said darkly.

"Too bad," The man told him. "While you're here, you'll have to. Despite your little gift, you'll find _I'm_ the one in power here."

Leo frowned. "I doubt that. You'll be nothing when I kill you."

&&&&&

Splinter was taken aback at Leonardo's words. Before, the last time he'd seen him, Leo had acted much like when he was young- happy, and excited.

Now there was a hard edge to him that had not been there before. So angry was his son… so violent.

At that moment, Splinter knew that something had gone wrong. Something had happened that had change Leonardo.

_My son… what have they done to you?_

&&&&&

He almost laughed at Leonardo's words. He was well aware that the ninja could probably kill him with his abilities, but that was why he'd had Stockman create the device.

"Now, there's no need for that kind of tone," He said. "We can still have a civil conversation. How about we start with the voice? What does it tell you? How does it… show you how to use the power?"

Leo glared. "They just tell me," He paused. "Right now, one just wants me to kill you. Maybe it's right. If I don't, you're just gonna make me go back, aren't you? Maybe I should kill you."

This was getting interesting.

Bishop sighed and straightened his tie. "Leonardo, I'm afraid if you're going to act like this, you leave me no choice."

Lifting up the device, he pressed the small button on its bottom.

Immediately, Leo covered his ears and let out a cry.

&&&&&

_They? _Don frowned, looking at Raph. "That's not right."

Raph nodded. "I know. Didn't he say there could only be one voice?" He asked, referring to the conversation they'd had with X97.

There was no time to answer, for at that second, Bishop lifted the paperweight and pressed a button on the bottom, and Leo doubled over in pain.

It wasn't a paperweight.

Raph growled and looked at Stockman. "What the hell's going on?"

Stockman looked at the equipment. "Your brother gave us little choice. It's only a frequency machine- it produces a high, rotating frequency that only Leonardo can hear. Typically, only creatures such as a dog or a bat could hear it, but we all know how sensitive his hearing is now. He simply won't be able to us his abilities against us."

Don looked back. "But it's hurting him!"

"A minor side effect. Too bad for him."

&&&&&

The sounds attacked him. No matter how low he tuned down his sense of hearing, it was there, assaulting him.

He couldn't concentrate. The sonar fluctuated, unable to pick up anything. The power was still there, but he couldn't focus it.

Within the noise, the man spoke. "Now, the sooner you speak, the sooner this will all be over. Let's talk about your sonar. Just how far can it go?"

Leo cried out again- it hurt so much.

"Leonardo…" The man pressed. He recalled his name- the shadow told him it was Bishop.

"Nowhere now…" He hissed. "Uh… a long way usually," He told him, giving in.

"Miles? City blocks? Feet?"

Groaning, Leo tried to think of it. "Two miles…"

Bishop whistled. "Very nice. And what about this power? Is there anything else you can do with it that we don't know?"

What _did _they know? This wasn't very helpful. "No," He finally said. He hoped it were the right answer.

"And just how strong is it? What can you do?"

He began scratching the table. _Got to stop this… _"I can do everything. We're done here."

"No, I don't think we are. Just a few more questions."

"No," Leo repeated, still scratching. "We're done."

&&&&&

Stockman watched the turtle closely, then snickered.

Immediately, Raphael was on him. "And what the hell's so funny?"

Pushing the ninja's hand off of him, Stockman looked back at his console. The machine was performing perfectly.

"Oh, nothing really. Your brother- see the way he's scratching at the table? It's not just a release, he's doing it on purpose, timing it. He's trying to change the frequency. He'll never be able to."

Suddenly, all of the humor left the situation. The simple fact that Leonardo was doing this suggested that he _understood_ the frequency and how it was working. In theory, with the right materials, he could alter the frequency. Just not in this matter.

But the fact that he _knew _that made Stockman realize just how intelligent he'd become in the small time they'd kept him in the sensory deprivation chamber. And he appeared to have gotten stronger.

Why was a sense of disaster starting to loom above his head?

&&&&&

"I'm in charge here," Bishop said. "Believe me, Leonardo. All of your attempts will be in vain. Just answer the questions, and this will stop."

Opening his eyes, Leo glared at him. The malice was surprising.

Then, stopping his scratching at the table, he turned his eyes on the device, jaw tight.

What the hell was he doing?

The turtle's hands shook slightly, his breathing hard and accented by sharp and pained intakes of breath. The infection was getting to him.

Pinpricks of blood started to appear on his beak, from the near invisible nostrils. He sneezed, and the blood spattered on the table, a few streaks on his face.

Bishop slowly slid his hand into his jacket. Leonardo was right. They _were _done here.

And then, there was a small explosion. The metal on the frequency device started to move and cave inwards. A hole was punched through it and smoke issued forth.

Leo relaxed for a second, and leaned back, apparently proud of himself.

Then his posture became rigid again and he glared at Bishop, a look of fear in his eyes. "You want to hurt me."

Bishop suddenly found himself flung back out of his chair, back against the wall.

&&&&&

It had taken everything he had to get a grip on the power, to focus it and destroy the source of the noise.

The minute that task was accomplished, Leo had felt relief. He was back in control again.

But then the sonar had expanded, and he'd realized that beneath the dark jacket this man wore was a gun. And that he was reaching for it.

And that, like everyone else, this man wanted to hurt him.

Standing up, he looked at the man. "You want to hurt me, but I won't let you. I should-"

He stopped, his sonar finding something else. Turning his head, he looked at a dark window. He could see nothing behind it, but he could _sense_ what was behind it.

Walking up, he looked at the glass and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Yes, there were four.

"I know you're there."

&&&&&

Don watched in surprise as the glass suddenly shattered. None of the shards hit him or his family, but remained frozen in place before gathering together and crumbling in a near pile on the floor.

Before them, Leo levitated a little, his feet coming to a rest on the pane of the window.

The intense look of betrayal on his face was enough to break Don's heart. How did this have to look like to him?

Leo looked at each one of them. "You want to hurt me, too. Just like him."

"No, Leo," Don said. "It isn't like that."

"Yes it is. You want to kill me."

Raph shook his head in disbelief. "Hell no. Leo, no one wants to kill you."

"He does!" Leo shouted. "And you were going to let him!"

"What are you talkin' about?" Raph shouted right back.

Looking at them silently, Leo finally turned back to Bishop. With his telekinesis, he flung the coat open, revealing what Bishop had been reaching for.

A gun.

Leo looked back at them, breathing heavily. "Don't follow me," He said roughly.

Getting down, he literally made the door fly off its hinges. And then he walked out of the room.

And they followed.

&&&&&

Raph shot daggers at Bishop. "A gun?"

Bishop fell to the ground, landing perfectly on his feet. "Tranquilizers," He said. "He was becoming difficult to handle."

"This is why I told you it would never work," Stockman shouted at him. "He needs to be sedated constantly-"

"Sedated?" Don asked. "No. You idiots! He was sedated the whole time?"

The men looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

Don turned to Raph. "That's the key. That's what X97 was talking about. They learn how to manage the power in their sleep. They get _stronger_ when they sleep. And you kept him like that the whole time."

Sending the two of them one more glare, he and his family went after Leo.

&&&&&

There! Chapter 14 is now complete! What did you think?

Wait 'til you see what else Leo can do.

Please review!


	15. This Is Why

Hello! Once again, it is I, Pi90katana, here with an update for Infection! 

(pokes readers) Hey, I was just wondering, do you guys like this story? I kinda figure out your opinions on reviews, and there's so few…

I ain't complaining. I was just wondering. This is, so far, my favorite fic I've written- and I was just hoping you liked it too.

So anyways, here's Chapter 15! I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nearly five hundred TMNT related things, but the TMNT themselves are not mine.

&&&&&

It soon became clear that just about everyone in this place had a gun. Focussing on the ripples of his sonar just as much, if not more than what his own eyes told him, Leo began to find his way out of the building. He was as aware of the nearest exit and what lay beyond it as he was of the men that stood in his way. Every operative he passed didn't even have the time to pull out their weapons before they were slammed into a wall.

The anger burning through him could not be described. Half the time, he couldn't even understand it.

_Those you loved want only to betray you. That's the problem._ The shadow said bitterly. _They have no right to hurt you- you could destroy them if you wanted. You're more powerful. No one has the right to touch you!_

_But that doesn't mean you have the right to hurt them._ His other voice spoke.

Leo listened to them both, growing more confused by the second. Everything was colliding full force in his head- sacrifice opposing pleasure, love against hate, right versus wrong. What made sense no longer did- all was a blur of strong emotions; the stronger they got, the more forceful the power was brandished.

In the next room over, something like a large garage with tanks and other vehicles in it, there were more than a few guards to take care of. Leo found at least thirty men with his sonar, armed and ready. They knew he was coming? How?

Hushing the voices for a few moments, he set out a burst of the power that sent half of the men to the ground. By the time he entered the room, only ten of them were still conscious, and a smaller amount of that number still had their guns.

He was growing tired, but he had to continue. He could sleep later.

The first person he saw as he took a step in was on his knees, but was pointing his weapon at him. Leo found three bullets in the chamber.

The turtle used the element of the power that only he possessed. Something that the men would later only be able to describe as a hammer he couldn't see hit him between the eyes and he crumbled.

The next two men, unarmed, charged him. Turning his head suddenly, Leo glared at them. Suddenly, the two operatives were hurling through the air and out the door Leo had come through, which closed as if by magic when they were out. Seeing a gun nearby, the ninja lifted it with the power and jammed the door shut. 

A few rounds were fired at him, pausing in midair before they could strike him. Leonardo sent them back, into the opposing walls instead of his enemies themselves, but the two who had fired and three other unarmed men nearby ducked for cover anyways. When they did, they found they were ducking a little farther down than they thought and, with the force of Leonardo's power against their necks, slammed their foreheads into the concrete and found themselves out cold.

Climbing out of a vehicle to his side, another man charged at him, screaming, "Stop! By the-" He got not farther before he found himself slammed against the car door and slumped on the floor.

Through his sonar, Leo sensed a man had been getting too close even as he was doing this. He was about to switch his power over to deal with him when he heard the sounds of the operative's finger's closing down on the trigger, the barrel of the gun now a mere few inches from his head.

The gunman stared at him. "End of the line," He said with a Texan accent. 

Staring right back, Leo debated in his mind what to do with the gun. Not even he could stop a bullet that close. But he could just throw the gun away. It all depended on how he did it. "Funny, I don't recall seeing the beginning."

The Texan ignored him. "Agent Bishop's ordered we bring ya back, and that's what I'm gonna do."

Leo actually cracked a smile. "No you're not."

The man nodded. "You may have a certain edge, but there're ways to beat you."

"Not with a bullet." 

"Of course not. But hey, those brothers of yours, they could probably be stopped with a few of these."

His smile disappeared. Yes, they'd betrayed him… but he didn't want them hurt. He loved them…

Didn't he?

Even the shadow seemed to agree with him here. _Don't let him hurt them, but don't think about going back either. You can stop him. What's the power good for if you don't use it? Get him-_

_Just deal with this and leave._ The other voice said. _Too many use the power for selfish reasons-_

_Selfish reasons are what's going to keep you alive-_

_You're better than this-_

The turtle closed his eyes tight and turned his head. "I…" They were all talking together- he couldn't think. 

"That sound good to ya?" The Texan asked. "A few bullet holes in your bros, some nasty recovery time- if they recover. Or do ya wanna be a good big brother and do what you're told? Go back," He said with a hard look. "Go back right now or I'll guarantee I'll make it happen."

His anger was growing in his gut, but he couldn't understand what was happening. The voices were going on and on and he couldn't make out a word anymore. His sonar was fluctuating, but the sounds kept getting louder until they hurt his ears. Leo's anger was so intense, that he found he couldn't even control it, no matter how much it hurt. He heard the operative's heart beating in his head like a sledgehammer, the voices speaking in between. He had no idea what this man was saying now, but he knew it had to do with harming his brothers- hurting people who didn't deserve it.

Leo looked at the man opposing him but wasn't really seeing him. "Shut up… shut up… shut up!" He yelled, unable to take it anymore.

He heard something like a pop and the sound and the voices stopped. Weary, he sighed in relief as the other noises began to quiet down.

But then he realized what he'd done.

&&&&&

They ran until they reached the end of one hallway that led to another which split into two directions. Raph looked both ways. "Which way would he've gone?" He asked impatiently.

"The way Leo was acting," Don theorized, "it'd be whichever way got him out of here." 

"Unfortunately," Splinter said, "both directions would fit such a purpose."

Raph realized their Sensei was right. This was near the entrance of the building, where they'd come in. The left would get you out through the garage and the right through the main entrance.

"All right, let's split up then," He said, pointing to the right. "Don, you and Splinter go that way. I'll look over here."

Without another word, they were off again. At first, Raph was pretty sure he'd taken the wrong direction. But just as he was about to head back, in case Don and Splinter had found Leo and needed help, he caught sight of a hand lying limp on the ground.

Curious, he walked over, turning the corner, and saw about three of Bishop's soldiers slumped against the walls, out cold. The further he went, the more men he found.

Picking up the pace, Raph followed the wide trail his brother had left behind for him.

Then, almost out of nowhere, two more operatives came running in the opposite direction, one speaking in his earpiece, ignoring Raph as they went. "Agent Bishop, sir- we need back up! The turtle has the garage sealed off…" 

His voice faded the farther he went. Turning yet another corner, Raph found the door. Beside it, he gave it a shove, but sure enough, it wouldn't budge. He glared at it, as if his anger alone would magically open the doors up. "Damn it, Leo."

Backing up towards the end of the hallway, he ran towards the door as fast as he could. Leaping up into the air Raph kicked it, mentally cursing Bishop for making the thing so thick. But he was rewarded- the doors parted.

Landing on the ground, he looked about. More bodies- Leo had been here.

No, he still was here. Surprised, Raph began to walk over. His brother was sitting on the ground, his knees pulled up to his chest and back towards him. He was looking at something on the floor; Raph couldn't quite see what.

Leo was rhyming again. "Weak, leak, peak, beak…" Suddenly, it stopped. "What do you want, Raph?"

Raphael shouldn't have been surprised- with that sonar of whatever it was, his brother had probably known he was coming for a while now.

But then… why hadn't he gone?

"You," He answered. "Leo, I know you don't want to, but ya gotta come back with me. I don't like Bishop any more than you do, but he's the only one who can help us right now. You're sick, remember?"

"No."

The younger of the two folded his arms. "Well, that memory loss of yours sure is picky, ain't it? You remembered my name."

Leo said nothing to that. It was quiet for a few seconds. "Can you go now?"

Rolling his eyes, Raph began to move forward. "I ain't-" He cut off abruptly, seeing now what Leo had been looking at. "Holy shit."

There was a man on the ground, his blue eyes staring up vacantly towards the ceiling. Blood was leaking out of his mouth and nose. Raph was no doctor, but he figured it was safe to say that this guy was dead.

Leo didn't even look up. "I did something bad- sad, had, mad."

Raph shifted his gaze to his brother. "You killed him?"

"…It was an accident. Everything was so loud and I couldn't think."

He couldn't help but notice, there wasn't a single mark on this man's body. "How?" He asked, sure he'd regret it.

"I had to stop the sound," Leo said indirectly.

"And what sound would that be?"

Finally, his elder brother looked up at him. "It was just beating so loud."

_The heart._

Leo looked back at the man. "I think I blew it up or something. It's not there anymore."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Raph began to realize just how powerful Leo had become. "Leo…" He said, trying to move forward.

It was like walking into a wall. There was something there.

Standing now, Leo turned to him. "Don't. I'm gonna go now- how, cow, vow."

"I can't let you do that, bro," Raph said.

"I can't let you stop me."

"Leo, we're trying to help you," Raph grit his teeth, trying to reason with his brother- and maybe that voice in his head… or were there two now?

A hard look came over the blue-clad turtle's face. "You want to let him hurt me- that's what you want."

_Of all the things, why couldn't he forget_ that "No, Leo. Get that out of your head. We'd never let that happen."

"You were going to let him shoot me."

"For crying out loud! Leo, there weren't any bullets in it. And we didn't even know about that in the first place!"

"So?" Leo asked angrily. "You do now- and you're _still_ trying to take me back. And that stuff hurts- the minute I was asleep, he would've taken me back to the dark place. You let me stay there- and that place is worse that being shot."

"What?" Raph shook his head. "Leo, I don't know what you're talkin' about!"

"You want him to hurt me," Leo repeated.

"Damn it!" Raph shouted. Somehow, he managed to push through the wall Leo had conjured up- between his brother's anger and Raph's own, it somehow gave way. Rushing forward the remaining foot, he grabbed Leo by the shoulders. "I know you don't remember much, bro, but do you actually think we want to hurt you? We're only doing this because we don't want you to die!" He shouted. "Deep down, do you think we'd do that to you? Do you?"

Leo looked him in the eyes, and for a brief moment, Raph saw that piece of his brother come back into focus- just barely. "No."

Calming down, Raph eased his grip. "Okay then."

His brother frowned. "But I don't want to hurt you, either. I don't wanna hurt anybody… I don't think so- go, no, show- anyways. Not like that." He said, looking down at the man, still dead on the floor.

Raph nodded. "You said it was an accident. That means you didn't mean to kill him, bro."

"The shadow wanted me to."

Pausing, his brother looked him over carefully. "Who's the shadow?"

Leo shrugged. "The dark one. There's two of them- it just came," Leo said softly. "It scares me… but you know, it's never wrong- about what people will do. About what will happen."

Raph blinked. It felt like something was touching his arms, yet… not. Like air against his skin, gently pressing in. It was only then that he realized what was happening. Too late, the temperamental turtle found himself lifted eight feet into the air.

He kicked out, but it was no use. The telekinetic parts of Leo's power were holding him firmly in place. "Damn it, Leo, let me down!" He yelled.

His brother ignored him, sinking his head a little further into his chest, rather than facing him. "That's why I have to leave," He finished. "If I go with you, I'll have to be put back into the dark place. But I'll find a way out. And when I do, it'd be worse than it is now… yes, I can see that now." Leo raised his hands, examining them. "That's why," He mulled to himself, sounding heartbroken. "That's why."

Finally, Leonardo looked up at him. "You should've stayed. You shouldn't have followed me. You never listen, do you?"

Stunned for a second, Raph found his voice. "Leo… how do you remember that?"

Something was wrong here. Before, his brother couldn't even remember who they were. Heck, last he'd checked, Stockman was still 'worm guy'. How was it that Leo was now recalling these things, common knowledge as they were, yet forgetting everything else?

"I don't," The turtle answered, "the shadow does. It remembers everything I can't. It remembers… these fights…" He said vacantly, as if this 'shadow' we're explaining it all right now; "But it still likes you. And it doesn't like very many people, Raph. The other voice likes everybody, but it's kinda mad at me right now." Leo rambled, holding his head and coughing once.

Sinking slightly, Raph realized that Leo was losing a grip on his power. But the second he began to fight against his invisible restraints, they constricted. Gritting his teeth, he looked back down. "Bro, you say this shadow of yours knows everything? Then how come it don't know you're sick?"

Confused, Leo placed his hands down and glanced up at him. "What do you mean?"

_Jeez, bro, you can't have forgotten_ that _already_. "You're sick, Leo, remember? I told you. Feel your head- you're warm. And you just coughed a little bit ago."

"It's not warm…" Leo said hesitantly, "It's really cold."

Raph wanted to roll his eyes but didn't. "Well, people feel cold when they're sick, don't they?"

Leo nodded. "…My chest hurts." 

The turtle froze, recalling those images he'd seen of Anna Coombs' lungs, coated in purple and green phlegm. Had that started already?

Shaking his head, he tried to speak. "Yeah… see? Ya sound pretty sick to me, bro. How come your voices don't know that?"

"…They say I was like this when they came." 

"Leo, they're part of the reason why you're sick!" 

The blue-clad turtle's eyes widened in shock. "What?" 

Raph looked at him imploringly. "I know it's hard to understand now, Leo, but it's true. And I'll explain it later. Just let me down, and let us help you. Please."

Backing away, Leo began shaking his head. Raph understood that perhaps his word choice hadn't been the greatest, but it shouldn't have been anything like this- Leo was acting like a four-year-old that had just learned Santa Claus wasn't real.

But maybe that wasn't it… the look on Leo's face was different. Raph couldn't understand it. "Leo?"

His brother shook his head and his eyes hardened. "I have to go now. For once, Raph, I want you to listen to me."

"Leo, wait-"

"No," the turtle said quietly. "We're done." He began to turn his back, but then moved to look at him. "And don't trust them," Leo warned, gesturing to the men on the ground. "They want to hurt you just as much as they want to hurt me."

"Bro-"

The elder brother shook his head. "I told you. We're done."

&&&&&

Walking over to the nearest vehicle, Leo ignored his brother's words, a task that was proving difficult to perform. 

Another man, unconscious, not dead, lay slumped against the car door. The turtle barely remembered fighting him but knew that he must have had.

In the operative's pockets, he could sense a set of car keys. Moving the body aside with the power, he gripped the door handle and got into the car. Inside, he pulled the keys out of the man's pocket; barely paying attention as they floated in through the window and into the ignition.

The engine started; the garage door zoomed up. In the distance, he could sense the presence of two others. "Bye," Leo said, pulling the seat belt on over his chest.

"Leo!" Raph shouted at him from above! "Leo, ya gotta to listen to me!"

_Ignore him._ The darker voice said.

_He just wants to help._ The other one explained.

_Like you need help? You'll just end up in pain again! You can take care of yourself!_

_… You can._ The first voice was hesitant. _But the power is not meant for selfish wants and needs. You must not forget this._

Leo floored the gas pedal before he could do something he'd regret. 

The security outside was fierce; he was met with a barrage of bullets that he sent over the car, and two barbed wire fences that split for him like the Red Sea had for Moses.

No one could stop him.

For the next twenty miles or so, he continued at such a break-neck speed, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white, even though he was barely using it to control the car. The turtle had to rely solely on his sonar to know where he was going- he was crying so hard from fear… and the few memories just wouldn't go away.

And the sobs only seemed to make his chest hurt more. He coughed a few times.

_Slow down._ The luminescent one warned, suddenly sitting beside him. Nodding, Leo did so. _Good. Now calm yourself_.

The car began to decline to forty-five miles an hour, half of what it had previously been going. Trying to breathe, Leo rested his head against the steering wheel.

He was up again in a flash when he became aware through his sonar of a road block up ahead.

More officers. With guns. But… not the same ones… no, these men were different.

Stopping the car, he sat there, taking notice of a _Welcome to Scranton!_ sign that stood erect to his right.

A young female officer popped a bubble of pink gum out of her mouth, rolling it inside atop of her tongue. "Sorry, sir," She said, at first looking at some papers in her hands; "But no vehicles are allowed to-"

Finally turning to see him, his face clearly visible in the noon sunlight, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, staring at him so wide and closely.

"Oh…" said Leo. He didn't want to break the rules. Opening the door, a bit curious as to why the officer backed away, but uncomprehending, he closed it, the car keys flying into his hand. "All right- night, tight, might. Uh, here. It wasn't mine anyways," He said, handing them over into her open palm.

Two of her partners took notice of him. "Dear God," one man said, staring in shock, the other reaching for his gun.

Without thinking about it, the blue-banded ninja ripped the weapon away from him with the power and tossed it a good hundred feet away, on the other side of the road. 

Leo sniffed, still trying to get control of himself. "Maybe some fresh air will do me good," He though aloud, launching himself up even as the words left his mouth.

&&&&&

Since the entrance on their side had been fairly close, Don had learned rather quickly that Leo hadn't come this way. Cursing, and shooting an apologetic look at Splinter, they turned around.

He still couldn't believe Bishop's stupidity. By leaving Leo alone under constant sedation, they'd only made matters worse. It had taken Don a little while to figure it out, but he'd realized that that was what X97 had meant. The power was house in the unconscious state of the mind, the infection making it push out and the conscious fraction turn in. But the conscious side was still the dominant one, it was just more affected by the other than it normally would be. The unconscious was actually leaking into natural life and upsetting the balance.

But when the infected slept, all forms of the conscious and unconscious met. There, things could be explained without any interference. Reality was confused and power strengthened. And clearly, from what little he'd seen of Leo since he'd been put away, the intensity of it was more than they could imagine.

Surely, with all of their technology and the research they'd put into this, _surely_ someone would've figured out that the infected were more powerful the longer they slept? Wouldn't their test subjects alone be proof? Bishop had to have had some for longer periods of time, and all were kept under some mean of sedation. The older subjects probably weren't as powerful- hadn't someone noted that?

That probably also meant that the longer they kept Mikey like that… the worse their little brother would become as well. Don wondered if Michelangelo had found himself in the same boat as Leo.

They'd have to take care of that soon- very soon. But first things first, they had to find the brother that was on the loose.

"Whoa," he remarked as they drew closer and unconscious bodies pointed them in the right direction. "Leo sure had fun."

Sighing, Master Splinter stepped over a man's leg and said nothing.

Soon, the garage door was in sight, broken wide open. They rushed towards it. "Leo? Raph?" Don called out.

Just as they entered, he heard a car start. The vehicle, a small, military type that he'd never seen before, sped out of the garage faster than he could blink. 

He was willing to bet his shell that Leo was in the driver's seat.

"Leonardo!" Splinter shouted, apparently having the same line of thought.

From above, an entirely different green turtle crashed down into them, sending all three mutants to the floor.

Groaning, Don pushed Raph's leg off of his stomach and sat up. "I take it your talk didn't go so well?"

Raph moaned and rolled his shoulder. "Once we're done saving Leo's ass, remind me to kill him." The ninja moved his body off of his family's.

Grabbing his cane, Splinter stood up. "Are you all right, Raphael?" He asked.

Rubbing his head, Raph nodded and got to his feet. "Peachy." He shrugged. "Leo really didn't do anything, Master. Just dropped me out of nowhere." 

The old rat master looked him over, then nodded in approval. "Very well. Do you know where your brother is going?"

"No- he just said he had to leave. We talked and I actually think I got through to him a little." Raph looked at Don. "There are two voices, bro. He kept talking about them. Called this one a shadow and kept on saying something about… a dark place? Where he got hurt? And he says they want to hurt us too."

Now, that was a little more than chilling. But a shadow? Now why did that sound familiar? Something out of Jung or Freud, maybe? Don would have to see.

He looked his brother over. Why did he get the feeling that Raph wasn't telling them everything?

There was one thing he did know though. "I think it's time we talk to Agent Bishop."

&&&&&

Fingers extended, Leo stood on the edge of a building, an angel on his left and a demon on his right. He looked at neither, but was constantly aware of their presence as they whispered thoughts into his ears, whilst he stared at the ground below him.

Raphael… that was his name, wasn't it? Raphael had said they were part of the reason he was sick… but Leo hadn't felt sick- didn't think he was sick until now.

_How do you know it's not a lie?_ The shadow asked. _They said they would help, too, as you know, and there was little of that._

_Little time was given to receive it._ The teacher spoke.

"Should I go back…?" Leo asked. New Jersey, which had also been evacuated, was still below him. He'd stopped to rest here, in a place called Newark. He doubted he'd go noticed- the city was so large, and there were quite a few other people roaming about the streets for the police to handle.

_No!_ His darker voice shouted at him. 

Wincing, Leo frowned. "Then what- cut, but, gut?"

Above his head, in the clouds, a helicopter flew by. The turtle was on guard at first, but quickly learned that the machine was not meant for him as it carried on. Crouching down, for now he was getting the feeling that, though he didn't understand why, he should not be seen, he watched it.

It was a simple black, helicopter. Nothing special about it. Well, there was something red on the door- like a dinosaur or dragon had stepped on the aircraft and left its mark. Leo had the vague feeling he'd seen it before.

_That is what you shall do._ The shadow told him. It sounded very angry all of a sudden… hungry. _Follow it._

The blue-clad ninja frowned. He wasn't sure about this. He didn't even understand what was happening.

_You don't have to if you don't want to._ The other voice said softly.

Sighing, Leo looked at the helicopter as it grew smaller, fading into the horizon. "What else is there to do? I have to do something." 

Taking a deep breath, he let himself fall.

Down, down, down. Down he fell off the building. Further and further, faster and faster. He could feel his heart bet quicker in his chest, see it with the sonar. The thrill gave a rush of adrenaline to his veins.

Just as he was about to hit the pavement, he pushed his hands straight out in front of him, breaking the concrete in a circle, and stood perfectly still, like a hand stand in mid-air. Using the power, he righted himself, and set his feet down in the center of the concave circle, taking shuddering breaths.

Again, he was reminded. This was why, this why people wanted to hurt him. His power…

It was powerful enough to hurt _them_. 

Closing his fists, he coughed and shot back into the air, needing another rush of he was going to be strong enough. Soon, the black helicopter came into sight again and, carefully staying out of sight, he followed out all the way back to New York.

&&&&&

"Mistress Karai," her taller aide approached her; "Are you sure that it is necessary to return to Foot Tower so soon? The situation in New York is still quite dangerous- much of these… infected ones are still left in the city. And many of our own ninjas have contracted the disease. They've taken residence in the tower. Returning now could have drastic consequences."

Karai turned from the window and examined him with her green eyes. "That is precisely why I must return. The local authorities are doing their best to gather these people - _our_ people included. It will not be long before they arrive. And we cannot afford to have any loose tongues reveal what truly happens within our facilities."

"With all due respect, Mistress Karai," The shorter aide said, "We hear that this disease causes memory loss. You have nothing to fear. If you are concerned about your father's name… these men won't remember, even if they knew of what he was."

She glared. "I am aware of this. But they all knew of what he had them do. I will not have them discredit my father by telling the world of the turtles, a story that will seem like the raving of a madman to outsiders, ready to be splashed across the papers for all to see!" She yelled, standing. Taking a breath, she calmed down. "We will take care of this- swiftly and without spilling the blood of the Foot. We will care for our afflicted comrades as best as possible. Also, in the case any mistakes are made, we will make it impossible for anyone to discover what really happens here," She said darkly. The helicopter landed. "Now see that it's done."

The two men nodded and unboarded the plane. Cautiously, she followed after them and into the private quarters of her father… her quarters. She always forgot that.

Walking over to a wall, she pressed a button and it slid open, revealing a secret room. Quickly, but missing nothing, she gathered up files and other data stored on discs. Walking over to a monitor, she watched as two Foot ninja literally walked on the ceiling- with the assistance of their new gifts, she was sure.

Frowning, she began to walk out of the secret room. This was going to be difficult, but certainly doable. 

So she thought.

Before her eyes, two of her once highly esteemed Foot ninja dropped from the ceiling. She could tell immediately that they were also of the infected, for a chair was floating in the air by one as they walked closer.

Dropping the files, she drew her katanas. Clearly, they didn't remember her. 

But suddenly, they lifted their heads sharply, turning them towards the helicopter as if they sensed something. Their hands balling into fists, they turned and ran towards it, the one throwing the chair.

The piece of furninture split into pieces in midair and the men flew forward, the second's swords pulling out of their sheathes magically and staying in place. Even though they clearly fought it, the two ninja wound up outside and slammed against the ledge of the building.

Karai directed her attention to the two swords, hovering there. She raised an eyebrow. What had happened.

"Why does this place look so familiar?" 

"Leonardo!" Karai shouted, reverie broken. Raising her own katanas once more, she prepared for the fight.

The turtle walked up to the swords, turning to see her. "And you…"

Just as she was about to charge him, the weapons flipped around in front of him, crossing with her own and pressing her back with unimaginable strength. Her eyes widened with realization. "You are of the infected."

Leonardo cocked his head, as if trying to place her in his memory. He looked torn… she'd seen that look before. That day on her father's ship.

"I don't remember you," He said. "So why does it want me to kill you?"

&&&&&

Dun dun dun dun!

Wow, that was really Leo-centric! But I hope you liked! I enjoyed writing it!

Stay tuned! And please review!


	16. Make it Stop

(returns) Wahoo! It's good to be back! Of course, I don't know if I told you, dear readers, that I was gone. Well, I was on vacation for a brief bit- and the day after we got back was my B-day! That's right, I'm seventeen now! March is so busy.

Speaking of which- TMNT the movie is coming out on the 23rd! Yay! I've known about it for two years now, and if you haven't guessed, I'm really excited! (bounces up and down)

But, I've found time for an update! And I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. The TMNT own me- check the license on my foot that says so.

&&&&&

_Get her, get her, get her, destroy her!_

The shadow's words were quickly lost in the emotions it sent running through Leo's veins like heated metal, melted down into liquid form. The intense anger and resentment his darker voice felt towards this woman was lost on him.

It was stronger than that which it had felt for the man called Bishop, and that had been powerful.

But then, as with all the other people Leo ran into, the shadow had fed him memories of those he met that gave the turtle a vague understanding of why the emotions should be shared between them. Not even the teacher could explain it to him. He did not hold the memories as the shadow did.

With this person, this woman in front of him… there was nothing. Like his voice was purposefully trying to hide it from him.

Leo continued to hold his ground, staring at her features as if they alone would reveal why she was to be loathed. Again- nothing.

He walked closer to her, watching as she held her swords against his katana, preventing them from slicing into her skin, or allowing her to move. Her back was to a wall now. Leo stopped no more than two feet away from her, gritting his teeth, the shadow's wrath boiling within him.

Yet he wouldn't kill her. No, not without understanding why she deserved it- or if she deserved such a demise.

But God, could he control it? Leo began to shake, hands quivering. The face of the Texan he'd killed had not yet been erased from his mind.

Turmoil… A part of him didn't want to be the bad guy. He didn't hurt people. Leo didn't understand why the shadow wanted this- he didn't.

At least… not too much. If Leo finished her, it would all stop, like with the man at the base. Once he was dead, the turtle was no longer angry. It would be simple. He wanted to kill her, just do it and let her die. No one was innocent after all, just some more than others.

Leo shook his head. _No. _He told himself. That wasn't what he wanted. He was good, wasn't he?

Wasn't he?

Something was going to happen soon though. Something would take place, and he wouldn't be able to help it.

Taking another step forward, he looked her in the eyes. Narrowing her own, the Asian woman set off an aura of determination, and anger herself.

He coughed dryly. Breathing quickly, he prayed for an answer. "Why?"

&&&&&

They returned to the interrogation room, for the fifth time over, to find that Bishop and Stockman had still not returned. But someone had been here, for no longer even the broken glass that had been shattered was left as evidence of what had happened involving Splinter's eldest son.

Raphael smacked the doorframe. "Where'd he go?"

More clear-minded, Donatello turned to him. "Bishop's a busy man. He wouldn't stay here for long- especially knowing Leo's on the loose. Let's try the other room again."

Frowning, Master Splinter shook his head. He too had a headache, one worse in comparison even to those he'd experienced in the earliest days of fatherhood, caring for the turtles as infants. But he, at least, was more accustomed to it. The old rat master could see poor Raphael was suffering through his.

"No," Splinter said. "Agent Bishop clearly does not want to reveal himself at this time." His whiskers twitched in anger at the thought of what that man must have done to Leonardo. "He will, however, within time. But for now, perhaps we should attempt a new approach."

The purple-banded ninja turned to him. "Like what, Sensei?"

"I am hoping I will be able to contact your brother, my son. I am unsure if he will tell us anything… but as the great sage once said, 'It's worth a shot.'"

Sitting on the floor in the lotus position, Splinter closed his eyes and began to search the astral plane. Raphael and Donatello he could sense greatly beside him- but as with his older brother, Michelangelo had become a thread, sensed, but hard to hold onto.

Worried about this, the rat master dismissed it for the time being, searching for the separate thread that was his eldest.

And he found it. A small burst of euphoria shot through Master Splinter. The thread didn't seem as thin as it had the last time he'd encountered it. Grasping it, Splinter quickly understood why.

Before, what had prevented him from contacting Leonardo was the waves of emotions and small attention span the ninja had shown to anything else. All that had mattered was fear and happiness.

Now… fear had remained, but that pleasure had been greatly diminished. In it's place stood an anger that blazed like a fire on a hot summer's day.

And his son could not control it. Leonardo was _afraid _of it; fighting it and seeking help.

_Leonardo? _Splinter called out to him, but the turtle still appeared to be in the same state as before, unaware of the hand reaching out to him.

But something else was.

_He cannot hear you. _This voice sounded so very much like Leonardo's- but with a much softer edge.

Like his son… but Splinter immediately knew it was only a part.

_Who are you? _He asked the voice.

_A tool- an instructor in the good of the power. Or the teacher, as he says. _

Leonardo's first voice then, an unconscious part of his son's soul. Perhaps he could learn from it. _Why is it that you can hear me and Leonardo cannot?_

_He is not aware of this part of himself. This knowledge he once had was given up and divided._

To you? 

_Yes. This fraction. Other pieces belong to the shadow._

Raphael had mentioned that title also. It had recently been explained to him what he and Donatello had learned from the alien, X97, concerning the voices that the infected heard- that though it was supposedly impossible for one to harbor both, Leonardo had done so.

This shadow must have been the additional one. The darker one.

_And what is happening right now? _Splinter inquired, troubled by the emotions he could still sense flowing through his son.

_The shadow wishes to rid itself of a soul that once caused us great grief. It's hate is increasing with every moment that desire is denied. It remembers who she is, but it will not explain why she is despised. _

She? His sons were not acquainted with many. And Splinter knew of only one woman, thus far, that had vexed Leonardo so. He feared just where his pupil had journeyed. _It knows this and you do not?_

_All fractions were divided. _This… teacher repeated. _Memory belongs to the shadow._

Another wave of anger and fear washed over his son, splashing onto Splinter himself.

Here he was presented with a dilemma. What would be worse- allowing his son to kill Karai, who he was no doubt facing… or let him stay in the mouth of the dragon with such an enemy that'd be willing to push him down its throat?

Then he realized that that decision might have very well already been made. While there was a side of Leonardo that was hurt and raging, willing to kill to ease his suffering, there was another side that wanted nothing to do with it. And the turtle was doing all he could to stay with it.

Leonardo had already made his decision; one Splinter would have to respect. All the ninja needed now was help in carrying out his choice.

_Can you help him? _He asked.

_Not when he is this is overwhelmed. All attempts have failed. The shadow's rage is strong._

_Then allow me to channel through you something stronger. _Gathering himself, Splinter focused his strength and energy. Gripping the thread that was his son tighter, he passed some of it on through the small part of him.

And prayed that this action would be successful.

Then slowly, ever so slowly, he felt it. The anger was subsiding, the shadow being contained. A sense of calm and relief began to spread through the teenager.

Though he didn't want to, Splinter let go of the thread, opening his eyes to the interrogation room and the faces of his two other sons.

"We must make haste."

&&&&&

Wondering how this fiasco would turn out, Doctor Stockman examined what Leatherhead had added to his notes on the antidote for the infection so far. Even he was impressed. The croc had gotten far.

Tapping a pencil on the table, he pondered where the mutant had gone. Certainly by now Leatherhead had heard of what had happened with his friend. Stockman did not want to face the wrath of that behemoth when he returned, nor that of his current employer, once they had words again.

One thing was for certain; Leonardo had to be found, and he was sure he had a method. But first things first, Stockman had to work on this cure. Too much news on the infection had leaked into the media already.

From what Stockman was seeing, it was almost complete. Because of the strength of the vaccine, it would have to be administered in several doses to keep from further harming the infected.

But that wasn't all. A very necessary antipsychotic combined in the antidote for turning back the mental damage would also react badly with the antibodies. Both needed to be in the drug for the infected to return to normal- unless people were okay with most of their nation being insane.

Were the chemical reaction in the vaccine accelerated… it would probably work. The antipsychotics wouldn't break down, as they had in tests, and they would actually reach the desired effect.

What they needed was some form of catalyst. But what?

And then, Stockman thought of it. Going over to a microscope, he slid a petri dish beneath the lens.

He'd taken samples from the lungs of some of the deceased. The purple and green goo was swarming with all sorts of strange bacteria, most of which he'd concluded to be deadly.

But amongst it all, he'd found a good source of bacteria, unique to the infected, that produced Vitamin A, which kept some of the mucus-like stuff away from the lining of the lungs and probably helped them survive a few extra days.

And within it, oddly enough, there was an enzyme.

Enzymes were proteins that worked as catalysts.

If he could alienate this bacteria with this enzyme, not only would it be a welcome addition to the cure, with how fast it reacted when it wasn't slowed down by the other bacteria, it could serve as their catalyst.

He clapped his hands. "Baxter Stockman, you _genius._ When you're done here, they'll erect monuments for you."

Even as he heard the doors open, he felt Leatherhead's hands on his shoulders, yanking him back to face him. The croc snarled. "Where is he?"

"Not here, as you know. Now let go of me, you behemoth! I have work to do."

Leatherhead didn't seem to be getting it. "If any harm has come to him or Michelangelo because of your fiendish methods, I swear you will have more to worry about than your career." The mutant flashed his teeth.

Stockman couldn't help but snort. "Please. I've cheated death many, _many _times. Threats no longer mean anything to me. And if you want to help those friends of yours, I suggest you let me go. _I _have solved the mystery to the cure and it needs to be tested and put into production as quickly as possible." The scientist sighed uncaringly. "Unless you _want_ them to die, of course."

Face softening, Leatherhead put him down. "What was the solution?"

"An enzyme within a bacteria that I discovered." He gestured to the microscope. "See for yourself. Now if you'll excuse me…" He said, walking away tall.

And outside, once he drew near the hallway of which only higher access operatives were allowed, Stockman took a deep breath of relief.

&&&&&

One hand on his chin, Agent Bishop watched the footage the probes had brought back while listening to a recording of what had happened to Leonardo inside the deprivation chamber. Ballenger had managed to clean it up, and it went through the bits of the turtle's moans and mumbles that had been made out intelligibly.

_"…Hello?" _

_"Alone…"_

"…_all gone…"_

"_Help… help."_

"…_it's gone."_

_"Who are you?"_

"…_don't know how…"_

"_I'm scared…_

"_Gone."_

And then came something far more interesting.

_"The power…"_

"_The power…"_

"…_teach me."_

"…_shadow…"_

"_Back…"_

"…_hurt…"_

"_The power…"_

"_I see…"_

"_The hole… too far…"_

"_The power…"_

"_The power…"_

After coming to its end, the tape would rewind and play again. What interested him the most is the way Leo's voice would change in certain spots… towards the end, it sounded angrier.

Examining the images onscreen, he rolled them back to the times when the turtle had been under sedation. And sure enough, he saw where Donatello had been correct. The areas of the brain showing thought processes and learning developments were clearly more active at those points… as well as the ones were research indicated schizophrenia was located.

Moving the time to the point of the interrogation, he was taken back by the new piece of tissue floating in the lateral ventricles. Around the time when Leonardo would've made a wall flower out of him, Bishop saw it light up. In fact, it seemed to do so at every point in which the ninja would've used the power.

Bishop leaned forward. This was very interesting. But he had to wonder… where did it go? In the biopsies performed on the dead members they'd found so far, no such thing had been found.

_How could it have been missed? _He thought of what they had learned, how Leonardo had escaped. _How could we have not gotten that?_

He heard footsteps behind him but did not turn. "Agent Bishop?"

Stockman. Yes, only he would have the nerve to enter after all were put on strict orders not to. "This had better be good, Stockman."

"I just came to inform you that we're almost done with the first wave of the cure. It should be finished early tomorrow."

The government agent turned his head slightly. "So soon?"

"Yes, well I brilliantly discovered an enzyme in the infection itself that could be used in the cure. It furthered the cure a day at least," Stockman bragged. "Leatherhead is applying it right now and test trials will be started soon, with your permission."

"You said it was for the first wave… how many people should it be good for?"

"Those between the first and seventh days. We're still working on the other two."

Bishop paused. "… Two?"

"Yes, well, we had to split up the final wave. The infected of days twelve through fourteen are just far too different compared to the others."

Growling, the agent nodded. "Very well. Give me a list of the test subjects you wish to use and I'll approve them."

When Stockman didn't leave, Bishop's anger grew. Standing, he turned around and looked at him. "What?"

"There is one more thing… there's been some more reports of infected across the country. People travel, as you know, and the planes weren't grounded in time. There are even some cases we here of in Europe and Asia, maybe Australia. People are starting to wonder where it came from… people are wondering what our men are doing controlling this."

This was getting bad, as he expected. Bishop nodded. "I'll prepare a statement- after the cures are completed. Be prepared to make quite a batch, Stockman."

Saying no more, he dismissed the scientist and looked back at the screen.

Another problem. Just where would this freak go?

&&&&&

It took all of Karai's strength just to keep the swords in front of her at bay. The handle of her own katana was pressing so hard into her palm that her hand had turned white, her knuckles aching.

The woman's teeth gritted, her eyes flickering towards the turtle before her. He met them, a look of confusion and inner pain she could not understand on his face.

"Why?" Coughing, he asked her again softly, as if it were he himself under attack. It took Karai several seconds to realize he was referring to his first question- he wanted to know why he was so moved to kill her.

Well, there was no way she was answering that question. When Leonardo wasn't looking like a pathetic puppy dog, she could see the rage and anger behind his eyes.

The capacity to kill without a second thought.

Karai was as good as dead if she answered that question.

But then, just when the latest Shredder thought she could no longer keep this up, a different look passed over her enemy's face. Leo cocked his head, his eye ridges wrinkling together.

Breathing slowing, he coughed once more, but appeared to relax. It was as if Karai could see the rage visibly drain from him. His muscles lost their tenseness and he looked as if he could fall asleep right there before her. Instead, Leonardo turned back to her, stared for a moment or two, and then with that amazing ability that the infected possessed and she had just now witnessed first hand, pulled back the katanas.

It was so fast, that Karai nearly fell over without that force opposite of her. But she maintained her composure. Loosening her grip on her sword, but keeping it in hand, she looked Leonardo over, taking quiet breaths.

Apparently, not only was he going to let her live, he was going to stay. The ninja in blue showed no signs of leaving. Flipping the swords he'd taken from her ill soldier into his own sheathes with his telekinesis, he continued to regard her drowsily.

And that when a plan came to the daughter of Oroku Saki, a plan to finally avenge those responsible for exiling her father- for taking him away from her.

She'd heard much about the infected. Their abilities were tremendous, and she suspected that what she'd heard about them was merely the tip of the iceberg. She could use Leonardo to gather those others like him in the tower.

And Karai could use him to bring down his own family, for they were like bears, these thorns in her side. The others were sure not to be far behind their brother- the rat included.

Grinning softly, the young woman raised her head. And then, when they were dead, it would only be a matter of time before Leo himself died, from the disease inside of him. Yes, it was perfect.

Father, today I avenge you.

Her grin faltered as she remembered the past and the promise she'd made- how many times Leonardo had been there when she needed him, no matter how dangerous it was, and how many times she'd even helped him as well.

But that was all in the past. And her father had thought her to never look back to the past.

"Leonardo, you betray me thus?" She asked, her voice loud.

The one she'd once regarded as an ally took her words in slowly. "Huh?"

She lowered her weapon. "How dare you. After I allowed you to join me, after you'd earned my trust, you stab me in the back like this?"

He looked at the floor then met her eyes. "I-I don't understand- hand, land, band."

The woman raised an eyebrow in puzzlement at his rhyming, but kept up the charade. "Please. Do not play me for a fool, Leonardo. You have shown your true intentions. You were going to kill me."

Leo appeared to be very confused. "I thought… unh…" He rubbed his head; "Weren't you… weren't you the one who attacked me?"

A small shot of fear ran through Karai at that. She'd been hoping that that would've been forgotten. "I've been aware of your deception for some time. You should never have shown your face back here. You should have left," She made up quickly. Taking a few steps away, she tried to act casually. "No matter. I will carry out our plans myself. If you wish to be no part in them, then I suggest you leave now. But I will find you, Leonardo. All of you."

If the poor turtle had been confused before, by now, it was as if Karai had spoken to him in a dead language. "What? I know- so, low, grow- you? Plans… we were doing something?" Coughing, he stumbled a little.

Turning, she looked at him. "What is wrong with you?" She asked, playing dumb. "Why don't you remember?"

Leo regained his composure and shrugged. Of course he wouldn't know.

Wary in the case he drew his blades again, she moved closer. "You truly do not remember?"

That time, the question was not part of the act. Karai was astounded by how much seemed to have been wiped from this teenager's mind.

He shook his head.

Pointing her chin a little higher, she watched him, wondering how she should carry her plan out. _If_ she should carry her plan out. Since meeting the turtles, she had felt so divided… There was the part of her that was honor-bound to her father and his ways, but then that of her that argued that her father had not always been right.

But it was not Leonardo who had rescued her from the streets now, was it? It was not he who had given her a life.

So as always, she chose the path of Oroku Saki. The path of the Shredder.

"You came to me, Leonardo, about four months ago." She lied. "You'd come to the understanding that your father and brothers had done horrible things- that they were in the wrong all along. And for some reason, you sought out me to talk to. Eventually, it came to the point where their crimes were so outstanding that the only thing that we decided could be done was to destroy them."

Shaken from his lethargy, Leo's eyes widened. "I wanted to hurt them?"

"It was the only way. You yourself said so. How can you have forgotten this?"

Shocked, the ninja backed up. "I was just with them… I think I was with them. They tried to help me." He shook his head. "They wanted to help me… but I left because that man was hurting me." Leo rubbed his head again, as if he were in pain. "And, and… I thought they wanted to hurt me too. But they said they didn't. They said they wanted to help."

This was working out too perfectly. "Yes… they lied to you. Can't you see?"

He just stood there for a few moments, staring at her. She was surprised to see his eyes become wet with unshed tears. "They… no… but why?"

Karai did not answer, just watched him with false sympathy.

"Mistress Karai," She heard the voice of one of her aides as the two entered the room with three of the infected in tow. They stopped dead upon seeing Leonardo.

"I'll explain later," She hissed at them, giving them a look that said 'go on as normal'.

The shorter one nodded in understanding, looked exhausted. He and his companion were now sporting bruises and their clothes were bloodied. "Mistress, we were only able to retrieve these three. They were more submissive than the others. There are at least ten others."

"Thirty-seven," Leonardo and two of the Foot ninja said at the same time. Karai was admittedly more impressed by the turtle's answer, for he had not been in the tower as the others had. Or had he? Had he been waiting here to kill her?

Instead, however, she asked her own soldiers. All were capable of lying, but she was sure she could trust them more.

All had their masks removed and their uniforms were ripped. The first, a tall male, was the only one who hadn't answered. He was wheezing and seemed entirely oblivious to her presence.

The other two, a man with dark hair and green eyes and a short woman with brown hair and eyes, _did_ seem to be pleasant. But there was also a dangerous spark in their eyes.

She chose the woman. "Do you recall who I am?"

The young woman looked her over and shrugged. "A little bit."

Karai nodded. "May I ask how you knew that?"

"Knew what?"

She paused. "How many ninja remain in this building."

"Oh." The woman nodded. "The sonar. I can hear them moving, feel them. Their voices are not like ours."

Shifting her attention to the more sickly of the three, she asked her aides. "What is wrong with him?"

"We believe he is in the final stages of his infection, Mistress. He will likely die soon," Her taller aide spoke.

Karai nodded, saddened by this. "Do all you can to help him. And we must try to gather the others."

"We can help," The female ninja said. "The power is strong within us."

Another voice took her by surprise, so sullen. "I can help, too." She turned to Leonardo. "I can find them… I don't want anyone to get hurt."

She released a breath, looking him over. This was just as she'd wanted, but she hadn't expected for it to happen so quickly.

Leonardo's eyes were on the floor, his spirit looked broken, and it was bent to her will.

Something she'd once said to him on her father's ship came to her mind once again. _You are too kind, Leonardo. Much too kind._

She shook her head. _And I am going to exploit your kindness._

&&&&&

In his small cell, Mikey smiled. He was tired, but he could feel the power within him growing.

His knee itched, but earlier, some men had come in and tied his hands behind his shell.

Sighing, he concentrated on the knot, seeing it with his sonar. And slowly, thanks to the power, it came undone.

Stretching his hands, he scratched his knee until the itch was gone. Satisfied, he lay back and went to sleep.

&&&&&

Well, there's another chappie done! (claps) I hope you liked!

Now, Leo's getting more powerful, and so is Mike, if you haven't noticed. More so than he should've.

I'd like to address something I got in a review last chapter. I was told that this story has too much Leo. Well, it is Leo-centric, but I have been doing everything I can to put in the other characters quite a bit. This chapter and the last are a small exception and the next few will have the others included more, in case anyone's interested.

I'd like to thank everyone for your wonderful reviews! Please do so again! Thanks!


	17. Timelines

Ah! The muses are calling me on this one! Seriously- they won't shut up! They're saying 'Write us down, Pi! Write Infection! You know you want to!'

Boy is this story gonna be long. I think I'm finally gonna make my first novel length fic (is shocked).

So anyways, I best continue. Here's more ficage! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: With all the TMNT merchandise I own, it's only a matter of time before I cross the turtles themselves off my list. But for now, they sadly aren't mine. (Leaves to write angsty poetry)

&&&&&

On their way out of the interrogation room, Raphael sped up his pace to meet that of his Sensei's. Old, sick, and moving with a cane, Splinter could still move faster than them, when he wanted to.

"Hold up, Sensei," He said. "What's goin' on?"

"I was able to make contact with your brother- or at least a part of him-"

Catching on quickly, Don interrupted. "One of his voices?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes," Splinter continued. "It was his first one, I believe. When I found Leonardo, his soul was in a great state of turmoil. The second half of himself wished for him to do something he did not understand the reasonings for."

"And that would be…?" Raph asked.

"To kill someone," The rat finished. "'A soul that once caused him great grief', as I was told. And she was a woman."

Raph and Donny realized it at the same time. "Karai."

Splinter nodded. "Indeed. Through his voice, I transferred enough strength to help Leonardo resist the murderous urges of his darker side. How he encountered Karai or knew where to go to find her, I am unsure, but I fear for his safety. We must find him quickly."

Murderous urges… was that what Leo had felt when he'd killed that operative before? Certainly this other voice was the one responsible.

He didn't ponder it for too long, though. Raph knew all too well that he'd be hearing one of his own soon.

And then suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, who exactly would be coming around the corner but Baxter Stockman.

In a burst of speed, Raph had the scientist lifted into the air and pinned to the wall. The turtle frowned darkly. "Hey there, lightweight. Wanna tell me what the hell you did to my brother?"

Stockman kicked his mechanical legs to no avail. "What is it with you mutants? Can't I simply go about my business for _one_ second-"

Raph raised his fist. "That didn't sound like the answer to my question."

Grabbing the dark green turtle's fist, Don pulled it down. "Take it easy, Raph. Like it or not, we still need him."

"Yes," Stockman replied smugly; "whereas you're all nothing but a bunch of lousy house guests. Careful now- if you keep annoying me like this, I might refuse you treatment. It would certainly be more than enough payback."

Eyes narrowing, the red-clad turtle lifted him higher. We'll see what you have to say about that when you're dead! I may be a lousy house guest, but I also happen to be one that'll develop a deadly power. Wanna see how long you can contain me, you twit?"

"That is enough," Splinter intervened. Tapping his cane hard, he looked at the scientist. "Doctor Stockman, we recently encountered Leonardo as he left this base. He spoke to Raphael of a 'dark place', where he was hurt." The rat master gave the doctor a look that said 'don't mess with me'. "I would advise you to tell us the truth on this matter."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Bullshit!" Raph yelled. God, his headache was getting louder. "We don't have time for this! Tell us what you did to Leo, or I swear to God I'm gonna kill you!"

"Raph, calm down," Don said, gripping his brother's shoulders. He shifted his attention to the scientist. "Okay, Stockman. Start talking, or I'm going to let Raph _hurt_ you. Remember, it's only your brain that we need."

That comment shocked Raph, but he said nothing about it, just grinned.

Stockman stared at Donatello in shock. He was full aware of their personalities, so he knew that this turtle was typically the more mellow of the bunch. "The fate of your two brothers lies in my hands. You wouldn't dare."

"Between me and Leatherhead, I'm sure we could come up with something."

There was silence for a long while, than Stockman rolled his mechanical eye. "Fine!" He sighed. "Agent Bishop will have my head for this… We placed Leonardo in a sensory deprivation unit after we took him away from you."

Raph wrinkled his eyes ridges. "Sensory deprivation unit?" He asked, looking at Don.

His brother glanced at him with wide eyes. "It's a chamber often used for torture. All sensory input is removed- it's completely dark, soundless, motionless. Many are filled with water."

"Not ours," Stockman put in. "We feared Leonardo would be able to manipulate any liquid were we to do so. So we merely bound his appendages and lowered the temperature of the rooms so he could feel nothing. If he got out of control, we would release a sedative gas into the room."

Splinter drew closer. "Just how cold was this room?"

"Cold enough to send his temperature from one-hundred and five degrees to ninety-one."

Don grit his teeth in anger and shock. "You could've killed him!"

"But we didn't," Stockman argued uncaringly. "And don't worry; we brought him out of the room once to warm him up… and to insert something into his system so we could monitor his development. You should've seen him when he woke up- he knocked out two of our employees."

"Monitor his development?" Raph asked. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

Stockman paused. "Cameras," He finally said. "They're inside his body, relaying images to us of the infection as it progresses."

Judging by his hesitation, Donny made the connection. "Let me guess- Leo wasn't too happy with the way you got them into him, was he?"

"That's none of your business!" Stockman snapped.

Raph pounded him against the wall again. "_My _brother is _my_ business!" He yelled. "Did you hurt him?" When Stockman didn't respond, he shook him again. "Did you hurt him?"

The scientist cocked his head. "He was in some discomfort, yes."

Donny shook his head. "No wonder why Leo was suspicious."

His ears folding back, Splinter voiced another concern. "What else took place in this chamber?" He asked. "When Leonardo was taken from us, he was more… pleasant. It wasn't until he was brought out that he became so violent- that this second voice became evident."

"Yes, we saw that too," Stockman admitted. "An odd side effect. Leonardo was, shall I say, uncomfortable in the darkness? He was very upset, especially with no one around him. When he was conscious, often times, he would try to talk to himself, or his voices. The audio recording was very poor, but we made most of it out. Agent Bishop is listening to the recording now. At some point… another voice came in; we can only tell that because at one point, he asked the question 'Who are you?', indicating someone new. From how the rest of it sounds, it would appear that this new voice had more to teach him."

"But not all of it, I fear, was good," Splinter said sadly.

Shaking his head, Raph looked at the doctor in disgust. "You son of a bitch," He said, dropping him to the ground, beginning to walk away.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Stockman asked, wincing after his fall.

"We're going to find our brother," Raphael replied.

Stockman laughed. "Oh, what fun that will be. Go. By tomorrow, you'll be nearly as insane as your brothers. And I won't have to waste the cure on you."

Don turned. "You have the cure ready?"

"Just finished it- the first batch, anyways. I only have to develop it and test it- it should be ready for use by tomorrow," Stockman said. "I, of course, wouldn't tell you moments ago, not when my health hung in the balance. But go find your brother, _if_ you can. I honestly don't care. Just one more burden removed off of my shoulders, though it would've been fun to watch you succumb to the infection."

Raph bit his lip. This was bad. Baxter Stockman did have a point; it would be much easier to get Leo were they cured. Not only would they be well and sane, the antibodies would prevent them from contracting the disease again- they could touch Leo and help him.

Besides, they couldn't leave Mikey and LH alone with this guy, could they?

He looked at his brother, who seemed to have been reading his mind. "Let's see this cure of yours, Stockman," The younger ninja said.

"What? You're not going?" Stockman asked, suddenly shocked out of his arrogance. Raph wanted to roll his eyes- if he'd wanted them gone, he should've just shut up.

Don walked over to him and folded his arms over his chest. "I won't be of much help to Leo by myself. With my brothers beside me, we can save him. And _you_ seem to be able to save Mikey, Raph, and Splinter right now. So show me," He said, eyes dead serious.

Angry, Stockman got to his feet. "Fine," He mumbled, and began to lead them back to the research room.

&&&&&

Who was she?

Cocking his head, Leonardo watched the woman as she spoke in hushed tones to two men, one tall and one short, on the other side of the room. What had they called her earlier? Something with an 'm'… like 'miss'… no, no, that was like a title… perhaps. What had come after it? Leo was pretty sure it had started with a 'k', but the rest he could no longer recall.

The shadow used to tell him these things. But it was like the shadow was gone now… like it had died.

Closing his eyes, Leo frowned. No, it was still there, sleeping inside of him. The turtle debated waking it; he'd be able to understand so much, but then he quickly banished the thought.

Sometimes, as cool as it was, as _powerful_ as it was… the shadow scared him.

Leo traced the grain in the wood of the floor, overcome with sadness. He wondered if this woman before him… he wondered if what she'd said had been true.

As the words had left her mouth, Leo had felt as if his soul was being sucked out of him. It just wasn't fair! His family… they'd lied? They hated each other? No, how could it be?

A tear forced its way out of him. Leo wiped it away. He shouldn't be crying- he didn't no why that was, but he felt it as a certainty.

Lifting his head, he took in his new environment, exploring with the sonar what he couldn't see with his eyes. So messy. The papers the woman had dropped earlier were still scattered across the floor. With the power, Leo stacked them back together, then placed the stack on a little table.

He was still not satisfied. His fingers continuing to trace the floor, they came upon inconsistencies. A long piece here, a short one above it in one row; in the next, a medium piece, a short piece, and a long one. Leo was aware that they'd probably been put together in this way for a reason… and after shifting his position, he could understand why. This way, they had more support from the other boards around them. Yet it didn't stop Leo from wanting to rip each and every one of them out and relay the floor, with the short pieces aligned side by side, the medium ones together, and the long ones all in a row.

The turtle was half-tempted to do it when he heard a voice. "You're weird," A woman clothed in torn black clothes said, sitting down across from him with a smile on her face. "Do you have the power?"

Leo nodded, then shivered. Everywhere he went, it was always so cold. But by now, he was becoming accustomed to it. "Yeah."

"Oh. Then I guess you're not so weird," She concluded.

Her companion took a seat beside her. "I wanna go somewhere," He said.

"Like where- bear, dare, pair?" She asked.

"I don't know." He looked at the turtle. "Hey, where do you want to go?"

Raising his head, Leo was jolted out of thoughts of betrayal and sadness and grim possibilities. "Huh… I don't know. Someplace nice- mice, rice, dice."

The female ninja rolled over onto her back. "Yeah… I like that. Someplace nice," She said. Leo watched in interest as a paperweight was taken off of the little table. With the power, she through it in the air, playing with it like a ball.

Before too long, he too was on the ground, as was the other man, and silently, with the power, they tossed the heavy object back and forth, like it were a game.

_Caution yourself_, he could hear the teacher, loud and clear. _Always be aware of your surroundings, _he told him again.

"I know," Leo said. The other two made no response to this.

_There is more to your surroundings then where you are and what is taking place around you. All might be well now… but don't let your guard down. This place could be dangerous. _

The turtle caught the paperweight and let it sit in midair for a moment, watching the light filter and gleam through it. "Okay," He said, tossing it over to the man.

The voice quieted. Leo watched as their 'ball' went up higher and higher, the other two players in this game grinning with their skill. When it was sent back to Leo, he let it sink down until it was just an inch from his nose, than launched it up eight feet.

A sudden pain in his chest caused him to turn away. Luckily, control of the object had already been passed. A light sweat sprinkled on his forehead, a fit of coughs erupted from his throat. Leo sat up, and continued with his spasm for a few seconds. He felt horrible.

The turtle realized the glass object was no longer traveling, turning around, he saw the other woman, the one who had told him those terrible things. She held the paperweight in her hand. "I have something I need the three of you to take care of. My aides will be back at any moment." She fingered the object, running her thumb over its smooth surface. The woman looked at the female ninja. "You said you recalled who I was… 'a little bit'. Do any of you remember _exactly _who I am?"

All three of them shook their heads. In Leo's case, he'd been depending on the shadow to explain. He wasn't sure why these other two wouldn't know… then again, he wasn't sure why they _would_ know.

"Very well," The woman said. "I am Karai." She seemed to be waiting. "Do you… do you not remember who you are?"

The woman shrugged. "Names aren't important. Why- lie, my, pie- do you ask?"

Frowning, the man looked at the ground. "It was something… something with an 's'."

Karai looked from them to the turtle. "And you?" She said suspiciously.

He closed his eyes. What was it that everyone called him? It was on the tip of his tongue… but now it was fading. The artist. He remembered the artist. "Leonardo," He said, opening his eyes.

She nodded. "Good." The door opened, and in came the two men, one carrying a box of medical supplies, the other a rolled up piece of paper. "Now the three of you, come."

&&&&&

At first, Don was a bit wary of what Stockman had to say. The guy was a liar by nature, after all. But his story was worth checking up on.

They entered the room and found Leatherhead hard at work. Splinter was the first to speak. "Leatherhead," He said, "Doctor Stockman has informed us that the enigma to the cure has been discovered and that it should be ready by tomorrow. Is this true?"

Standing, the crocodile nodded. "For once, he is telling the truth. I have examined the data and made a small sample for testing. We will not know how effective it is for a few hours more, but so far, it seems to be successful."

Donny heard a light tapping sound and wondered where it had come from. He looked around the room, but saw nothing.

Shaking his head, the purple-clad ninja walked over to Leatherhead, who handed him the information on the antidote. Sitting down, he examined it- yes, it made sense. He was amazed at how they'd come up with it though. "How do you administer it?" He asked.

Stockman sighed. "Injection, unfortunately. I was unable to create a gaseous remedy, much to Agent Bishop's dissatisfaction. However, if we play it just right, we can probably pass it off well- if we don't run out, that is."

Don hated that after all of the things Bishop was responsible for, after all of the horrible things that he'd done… he always came out bathed in a heavenly light while they were portrayed as demons from hell.

Again that tapping. Don looked up from the papers but saw nothing. It must've been something clicking around in the ventilation systems, he supposed.

Raph rubbed his wrist. Don knew that his temperamental brother was eager for the cure, he'd been acting a bit off lately. "So, uh, how's it look so far?"

LH nodded to him in sympathy. "The subject has regained consciousness once since we gave him the injection. He was still experiencing some of the physical symptoms… but it would appear that the mental effects had vanished."

"Ugh," Stockman said, "the old-fashioned way of sitting and waiting. I gave a separate sample to a special team that works for me. Through computer simulations, we can predict the eventual outcomes."

The red-banded turtle glared at him. "Which are?"

"Well, uh, we're not quite done yet." Stockman finished sheepishly.

Don sighed and put the papers down. Sitting and waiting. Now matter how you went about it, no matter how fast you were, you were always sitting and waiting.

&&&&&

Upon Karai's instructions, a map was brought forth- blueprints of the tower. The two aides lay the paper down on a table before her soldiers and the turtle; all three looked up at them in confusion.

The woman stood at the side of her sickly warrior, who lay on the floor, moaning. Watching him in sympathy for some time, she listened as her aides tried to explain to the three what they wanted them to do.

Karai sighed. Could they not explain the simplest of details? How difficult could it possibly be?

After a trip to the secret room, she returned and journeyed over to them, tossing three pens onto the table. With that, her men were silenced; they bowed their heads, turning all authority over to her and taking two steps backward. Nodding her head, she moved to that side, to better face the three before her. As she did so, Karai's eyes caught those in the portrait that hung on the wall there above that little table.

Oroku Saki. The Shredder. Charel. So many aliases, but to her, he'd always be known as her _father_.

She'd had the portrait made in honor of him not all that long ago. And now father was watching her, making sure that she did the right thing.

Well, the right thing in his eyes, anyways.

Taking her place behind the table, she looked at each of the three, her hands resting at her sides. "How many other people are in this building?" She asked them once more.

"Thirty-seven," They told her simultaneously.

"And where are they?" Karai asked, gesturing to the pens. She hoped they'd understand.

They did not, apparently. The man wrinkled his eye brows together. "In the building?"

Closing her eyes, the daughter of the Shredder nodded her head in patience. Perhaps she'd been too hard on her aides. "Yes, but _where_? Which floors? And how many people are on what floor? Where are my soldiers?" Opening her eyes, she lifted the pens and, holding the tips of the pens, put them in each of their open palms. "Make a mark- some form or symbol to represent each person. If there are two people on the fifth floor, make two symbols, and so on and so forth. Do you understand?"

"Sure," The woman said. "But what if they move?"

"Pardon?"

"What if they move? Like, what if they like a different floor better?" She said. "Or maybe they just want to go to a different country. What do we do then?"

Karai frowned. This was an excellent point. Perhaps they should put the tower on lockdown… "Just, mark it as it appears now," She instructed.

They shrugged and began to get to work. She watched them. Oddly, the male ninja seemed to be concentrating very hard at this, while the female would occasionally pause. Karai wondered why that might be. But just as he placed the tip of his pen against the paper, her Foot ninja straightened up. With a frown, he looked between his pen and the other two, then groaned. "Can someone trade with me?" He asked.

Karai sat down on the floor, her legs crossed. "Why?"

"I have a red pen- men, hen, ten," The ninja said, making Karai struggle to keep her face expressionless. Were they _all_ rhyming? "I want blue."

Her other ninja continued to mark the paper. "Deal with it," She said after yawning.

"You have blue. Trade me."

"No," The girl said. "I like blue. Ask him."

"Hey you-"

"No," Leonardo replied quickly, coughing once.

"How come?" The ninja asked, getting annoyed.

Leo's face was stoic. _Tap, tap, tap._ He made marks uninterestedly, his shoulders sunk down. She hoped that he was doing more than drawing. "Because I said so. And 'cause I like blue too."

The man threw his pen at him. "Jerk."

Turning, Leo laughed. "You're funny."

Much to her surprise, he too broke out laughing. "I am? Thanks."

And then, much to Karai's astonishment, he sat down and began marking his paper, no longer seeming to care that his pen was still red.

Bringing a hand to her forehead, Karai massaged it and sighed. Perhaps it would not be such a grand idea to bring all of the other members of the infected Foot ninja up here. She wondered if they could handle them all.

Soon, they were done. Nodding her head to them, Karai took the paper and looked it over.

On Level Eighteen, there were three people and two on Twenty-three. Several seemed to have congregated together on Level Twenty-five; she counted- there were eight of them. On Level Twenty-six there were two and it was the same for Twenty-eight. On Thirty-four, there were five, and on the floor above it, just one soldier, as was the same for Level Forty-three. On Level Forty-seven, there were eleven people. And on sixty, there were two. Karai tallied the numbers up- yes, thirty-seven souls in all.

With a flick of her wrist, she handed the paper to her taller aide on her left. "Begin with the levels with the soldiers in smaller numbers, so as to save your strength." Both of them bowed and moved away. Turning to the others, she was about to open her mouth, but instead shut it. Sighing, Karai stood. "We will join you later."

&&&&&

If he adjusted his sense of hearing high enough, he could hear what they were saying. Stuff about cures and time and test subjects. Stuff that was really, really boring.

They couldn't hear him though. He must've tapped on the glass a million times by now. Or perhaps only four. He didn't keep count very well anymore.

The orange-clad turtle sat down. He was more lucid now. That line that had been inside of him, the one that pushed the stuff into him that made him feel funny and good at the same time, it was just dripping onto the floor now. He was careful not to slip on it.

He was vaguely aware of the power. It was growing inside of him, that much he was sure of. But it had just barely begun to do so. Only if the young ninja concentrated very hard could he tap into its force and manipulate it- meld it with his own self and make it a part of him, and use it to his advantage.

_It'll take some time,_ His voice instructed. _Using this element of the power requires not just skill, but practice. You have to use your senses. If you see it, you can will it to move. If you can feel it, you can make it bend to your wishes. If you can hear everything around you, you have complete control._

"Yeah?" the young turtle began. Earlier, the voice had talked him through how to manipulate things with the power. Now it was time for the real lesson.

_Yes. The sonar is the most important. It combines all three of those senses, though hearing in particular. With sound, you understand everything- you're aware of every feature of the objects around you. You can feel it then, and the image is created in your mind. You have to have all three of these things in order to use the power in such ways._

"So…" he said, "if I wanted to, I could just unlock the door and walk out of here, huh?"

_Of course. But you have to be aware of everything going on around you. What's on the other side of that door?_

He concentrated and spread the sonar out. "Oh. A guard." He laughed. "I can take him."

But then he recalled that there were people behind him, on the other side of the glass. His family. The ninja grinned. He wondered what they'd think if he showed them what he could do now?

Standing, with his trademark grin, something that would never change no matter how insane he became, he knocked again on the glass; harder this time, in hopes he'd catch their attention.

This time, they did. The turtle in purple turned to face him, clearly surprised. He struggled to recall his brother's name but eventually came up with Don. "Mikey?"

Mikey blinked. _Oh! That's _my_ name! _He realized. It was hard to remember things in here. There was no one to talk to. But you got plenty of sleep.

Waving, Mikey smiled again. "Hey, Donny! How ya doin'?"

The weird guy, Stockman, stepped forward. "What? No, this is impossible! How did he disconnect himself from the IV? He was _bound_!"

"Oh yeah. I took those off."

Stockman threw his hands up in the air. "He shouldn't even be able to hear us!"

Mike found himself suddenly angry. "I can do more than you," He said.

Leatherhead responded, to the scientist, not Mikey. The croc sounded quite amused. "Doctor Stockman, he _does_ have enhanced sensed. I honestly would not be surprised if all of these subjects you have can hear your conversations."

Tapping on the glass again, Mike regained their attention. "Don? I'm _bored_."

His gentle brother smiled at him. "I know Mikey. I'm sorry- there's not much I can do about that right now."

"Can't you-"

Stepping up to the pane that separated them, Stockman took up most of the view. "Just how did you get your restraints off, mutant?" He asked, as if only his questions were important.

Rolling his eyes, Mike looked at him. "I took them off. Didn't I already say that?"

"I want to know _how-_"

Pushing the scientist in the shoulder, Raph glared daggers at him. "Leave him the hell alone."

"Wait," Don said. His face showed that he was clearly thinking. "I saw those restraints… Raph, they would've been impossible to get off without someone's help."

The red-clad ninja turned to him. "So what're ya sayin'?"

Don raised a hand to his chin. "I'm not sure yet." Mikey watched him move closer to the glass. "Hey Mikey. How are you feeling, bro?"

"Tired," The younger turtle replied. "And bored."

"I'm sorry about that. Mikey, can you tell me how you got your restraints off?"

Stockman snorted. "Like he can do any better."

Annoyed, Mike ignored him. "I took them off."

Again, the scientist snorted.

Don just kept his eyes fixed on those of his brother's, on the other side of the window. "But what did you use to do it, Mikey?"

"This is a waste of time," Baxter said. "Clearly-" His voice was cut off as he fell backwards, falling over the table and onto the other side with a yelp.

Breathing heavily, Mikey relaxed his shoulders. That had been _really_ hard. He was just happy that the guy was close to the table; otherwise it probably wouldn't have worked.

Looking away from the scene, Donny turned back to Mike. "The power," He realized out loud. "You used the power, didn't you?"

Hearing the word, Mike looked back to him and nodded, smiling.

Climbing back to his feet, clearly frustrated, Stockman spoke. "But that's impossible! We've graphed out the progression of the infection _thoroughly_. It's a very strict, time-oriented development. The phenomenon that happens to a person on one day will happen to the others on exactly the same day that it happened to the first. Telekinesis does not develop until Day Seven; your brother is on Day Six."

"But as you yourself have proven by accident in the way you handled Leonardo, Doctor Stockman," Master Splinter said, "keeping any of the infected under sedation for long periods of times only further expedites their power. They learn more. Michelangelo could very well have come to understand the range and usage of his power already."

"If that is the case," Leatherhead put in, "not only would he be more powerful than Leonardo, there is a slight chance that his timeline, in this matter, could also have been altered."

Bored again, Mike sighed and began to draw invisible pictures on the glass. Why couldn't they talk about something interesting? Were they going to let him out or not? Seeing his look of exasperation, Don tapped on the glass and got his attention, placing his hand against the smooth surface.

Raph whipped his head around quickly. "Wait, are you sayin' that he could have less than fourteen days?"

The crocodile nodded. "I am unsure, but it is a possibility. However, if Stockman is correct in his recent developments on the cure, it should not be a problem. The first round of the antidote is fit for those between the first and seventh day. If the cure works, and if it's finished by tomorrow, Michelangelo will be out of the danger zone."

Mike raised his head at that. He didn't like hearing his name and the word 'danger' in the same sentence. But already, they were continuing to talk about other things involving the cure again.

He sighed. "Can I come out now, please? I promise I'll be good."

"Mikey-" Don began softly, but was cut off.

"I just want to do something! There's nothing to do in here."

Donatello watched him in silence for a few seconds. Then he nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

The youngest brother brightened at that. "Cool… pool… rule… tool!"

His sibling's face sunk a little at that, but Mikey was too happy to try and understand why.

&&&&&

In her entire life, Karai had verbally spoken but four lies. She'd told many more over her years, silently and to herself- but to others, just those four. And she remembered each and every one; regretted each and every one, from the smallest and most innocent of them to the worst and most traitorous.

The first had been when she was seven years old, residing in the house of Oroku Saki. She'd taken a cookie in the middle of the night, and when questioned about it the following morning, had told her father that she had no idea where the treat had gone. She certainly had not taken it.

He, of course, quickly found out the truth. As the young girl had been making her bed that afternoon, her father had walked in and, with his eagle eyes, quickly spotted the crumbs on her sheets.

Saki had punished her for that with rigorous training for the remainder of the day. By ten o'clock that night, Karai was exhausted and was barely able to stand before him. She still could recall her teacher's words as he'd grabbed her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes.

"If you ever must lie, Karai, always deliver it with absolute confidence and always have the sense to remove any evidence that you may not be telling the truth. And Karai," He'd spoken darkly, "Never lie to me."

She'd done more than that. From then on, the young woman had not spoken a mistruth for many years. Not until the day she'd been entrusted with the Japanese branch of the Foot. Upon meeting some very important businessman who'd at first been hesitant about dealing with someone so young, as she'd been then, Karai had contrived a tale of her life with her father, falsifying some parts, including making herself the biological daughter of the Shredder and leaving out those that revealed him to be an Utrom. She showed them a disciplined and structured life, as hers really had been, only without the tainting of being trained to kill, most of what she'd been taught in such matters, as well as her father's lust for revenge.

The men had bought it. And they'd been very impressed, especially when she displayed such qualities, qualities that she truly had learned from Saki, which mirrored her story later on through their meeting.

Her third lie had been the night the Shredder had attempted to leave Earth. With the attack that had gone on within the building, as well as with all of the noise, her father's guests had become suspicious, forcing her to act quickly and dazzle them with 'an act of gratitude', as Karai had told the mayor when she'd had her men release the fireworks.

But none of those compared to her most recent lie, the fourth one- the one she'd just spoken to Leonardo of.

Even if she would have vengeance for her father, even if the turtles would be done away with… Karai was unsure if it was really worth it.

From the small table she sat on the floor at, she looked across the room. Before they'd left with the information of where the others were, she'd had her aides bring several pillows and blankets for her soldiers, as well as the turtle. The three Foot ninja slept in one corner, the sickly one wheezing heavily even in his sleep, the others mumbling incoherently. Leonardo drifted in and out of consciousness in the middle of the room, also speaking in his sleep, but crying out as well from time to time as if he were having a nightmare.

She would have had them go with her aides, to be of more use. Leonardo, especially, now that she'd seen what he could do. But… despite herself, sympathy had won Karai over. Her soldiers had not appeared well-rested, and the young ninja was no better, having looked dead on his feet coughing as if he were suffering from a plague.

A small grin formed on Karai's lips. Now that she thought about it, he _was_ suffering from a plague of sorts.

So, she'd let all of them stay. After her aides had returned and the three had woken up, for her other soldier was certainly too ill to be of any help, she'd send them out to search the tower as well.

Leonardo moaned and shivered before bursting into a coughing fit. Sadly, she wondered just how far along in his infection her former ally was.

And then Karai turned away, almost feeling the eyes of her father in his portrait behind her back boring into her, ashamed of her for being troubled by his enemy's health.

Hearing another noise, she looked again to find the turtle awake once more. She sighed. This would do no good. How useful could Leo possibly be if he were as enervated as this?

Standing, the Japanese woman walked over to him, then knelt by his side, careful not to touch him. "Leonardo," she said softly. "What ails you?"

Turning his head, he looked at her with blank eyes and for a moment, she wondered if he would remember her. When he said nothing, she spoke again. "I am Karai," She reintroduced herself. "You are safe here." _For now._

He mumbled her name under his breath.

Tapping her fingers against the wooden surface, she waited. This memory issue was starting to annoy her slightly, but she dealt with it. "What is troubling you?" She rephrased her question.

"Had a nightmare," the turtle muttered. To her surprise, a strangled sob tore its way past his lips and he closed his eyes. "I'm the monster."

Confused, she looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. But all he did was watch _her_ in turn, like he was waiting.

Her silence must have been Leonardo's answer, though she had no idea what it could be interpreted as. She turned her head, no longer able to bare his gaze- even if he'd seemed to have forgotten her lie, it was as if he was looking to her to ease his pain. Only Karai didn't want to. Quietly, he started weeping, only to have the cries turn into a series of coughs.

Karai whipped her head back around. He was getting progressively worse- that she could tell, even in the six hours he'd been here.

The part of her that was Oroku Saki's daughter cursed. _What use will he be to you when he's dead? How will you avenge your father? You should just kill him now._

But at the same time, the other side of her mourned the turtle's suffering. Once… really, not all that long ago, she'd seen this ninja as…

She held her breath as the words formed in her head. _A friend._

Angry with herself once more, Karai raised her head. He'd be dead soon. There was nothing she could do about that. Besides, ever since the Shredder had been banished, hadn't this been what she'd wanted?

As his coughing continued, Karai resolved that it would do her no good if Leonardo became so ill that he couldn't help her. Aiding him would benefit her as well.

Leaning down, she spoke so he could hear her. "Leonardo, turn over onto your side," She instructed.

With a moan, the turtle weakly did so. Eventually, the coughing subsided. Breathing easier, he opened his eyes again, revealing the blank look in them once more.

"You should rest."

"…hurts a lot- cot, rot, bought," Leonardo finished with a rhyme.

"Your chest?" She inquired.

"Mhmm…" He nodded, wincing. "I'm so tired… and cold."

Karai folded her hands in her lap. Perhaps she could have her aides bring more blankets later on. "Then sleep. Perhaps it will make you feel better." He continued to watch her. "Is something the matter?"

He was silent for several moments. "Wanna know what the worst part of life is?" He asked, his voice becoming softer.

The question caught her off guard. What did this have to do with _anything_? She shook her head. "No. I'm afraid I do not.

He snickered, the air in his throat catching once. "Getting it to work," He told her as he laughed. Even when he coughed occasionally, he didn't stop for a long while.

Not only did she not understand what she meant, she did not understand what was so amusing about it. Sighing, Karai concluded there and then that Leo had gone completely mad.

When Leonardo finished, he looked just about as drained as beforehand. Karai bowed her head. "Now sleep," She commanded, making her voice more gentle than she felt.

He took in her words, and she watched as his brown eyes seemed to become duller with fatigue. Yet Leo continued to stare… and she could not read him.

When he spoke again, his words were jumbled. She doubted that even he knew what he was asking. "Why do people kill?"

The new Shredder stiffened her back. Had he become aware of her deceit? But… the turtle just continued to watch her, or stare right through her. She loosened up, trying to think of an answer to suit him. "There are many reasons," She finally settled. "And then there are times when there are no reasons at all. Some kill for hatred, some kill for money, some kill for defense, or for love," She recalled her desire to kill the turtles and could feel a hardness come over her. "Some kill for vengeance, when something cannot be forgiven. Why do you ask this?"

"Because someday, I'll be killed," Leo spoke, never breaking eye contact, his voice so raspy now. "And when I am, I'll want to know why."

"What makes you so certain you will be killed? There are many other ways to die," She told him. After all, she was quite certain he would die of his malady.

"I never said someone. I said something. Maybe the water will kill me, or that bowl over there," he chuckled so quietly, she could barely hear him. His eyes were half-closed. "Or maybe a monkey… or sugar… Or maybe some big guy with a gun." He whispered. "Something will kill me."

Enough was enough. Leonardo was doing nothing more than rambling now. Leaning forward, she looked him hard in the eye. "Rest."

Blinking, Leo looked at her still; he'd never looked away. And whether he was actually obeying her commands, finally drifting off, or passing out from the fever she could feel radiating off his skin even from this distance, the ninja closed his eyes, his mouth parting slightly and a deep breath escaping from it.

&&&&&

He had the nightmare again. Just like moments ago; just like… well, that had happened a long time ago- he thought. There he was, alone in the darkness, when out came the cloud of gray. It had long, sharp teeth and it was strong. It would try to hold him down, squeeze him, bite into him and hurt him.

And it'd whisper things to him… things he didn't entirely understand. _Trust them! Trust them and you'll fall again! Everyone will betray you and you will suffer._

The monster placed a large claw over his neck and pressed down. _You cannot fight this forever. You will not be allowed. You will be saved from your anguish, and defeat those who wish you harm. You will harm them yourself. _The weight was being forced upon him so much now, he could hardly breathe. _Trust no one. Not anymore. Don't be a fool. Not anymore._

Over and over and over and over it would happen. Yet Leo would rarely wake in between. The monster wanted inside him, wanted him to breathe in the dark cloud.

He was so scared.

For a brief moment, there was nothingness. Blissful, calm and elegant nothingness. Whilst he lay in its grasp, he felt something slip away from him. Names and faces, places and events. He'd known them… but they were going now. Going away. Floating in the nothingness, Leo said goodbye.

When he awoke once more, his chest hurt, as did his head. He was so tired. All the turtle wanted to do was bury his head under the pillow and rest. His eyelids were heavy and his throat sure from coughing.

A woman appeared in his vision. Very pretty. But he didn't remember her. She stood at the other end of a large room, dressing herself in armor. When she realized he was watching her, she turned. There was no smile, just a nod.

"Are you ready to rise, Leonardo? There is much to be done, and I would not be surprised if your family found their way here soon."

Leo watched her for a few seconds, placing his head further against the pillow. When he finally comprehended that she'd been talking to him, he blinked. "What family?"

&&&&&

OMIGOSH, that was such a _long_ chapter! (wonders how she did that in just three days) I actually had to cut stuff out that I had planned. I had no idea it'd be this long. Wow.

Anyways, I really hoped you liked it. I've been kinda down in the dumps lately- but for once… I think I did a good job on Karai. I think I did. Man, I hope I did. I think most of the long stuff actually came from her point of view. How odd.

Well anywho, a few notes here. The thing about the monster- if you don't recall, I briefly mentioned him before, though not in detail. It was back in Chapter 7. Also, yes, that was preplanned. Leo's mood shifts are because of the infection. Because the shadow is gone, he can be more pleasurable again, however, since he was used to being angry, it's causing him to have more serious shifts in emotions than beforehand.

So yeah! I hope you liked! Please review!


	18. Whisper

Hi, guys! How is everyone?

I hope well. I know some bad things have been going on lately, but hopefully not too bad for most of you. If so, well, maybe the tiny ripple that is my writing may actually have an effect and help out.

So, here's more Infection! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. I like to pretend I do, but it doesn't work out too well when I tell people I created them back in 1984… and was born in 1990.

&&&&&

His hand resting softly against the gentle surface of the glass, Donny stared quietly into his brother's cell. Bored, Michelangelo had taken a seat on the floor, his shell against the wall, and had promptly fallen asleep with his chin against his plastron fifteen minutes ago. Don could see his sibling's shoulders move as he breathed deeply; placing his hand down, he looked away.

Leatherhead was making quick calculations while Stockman moped in a corner. Raph paced the room while Splinter meditated.

The turtle frowned. This was not the course of action he'd had in mind. They should be doing something useful- anything at all.

But _everything_ depended on the cure.

He looked back into the window- Mikey's cell. The ninja was basically harmless. Don stood straight. Really, they were doing more harm than good by keeping him confined. The turtle in purple was about to march out then and there and find Bishop, demanding Mikey's release, when he realized he hadn't seen the government agent for hours; he had no idea where Bishop was.

However, Stockman might.

The robotic man yelped as he was yanked off his seat unexpectedly, causing everyone else in the room to look at them. Donny offered no explanation though; he just looked at the scientist. "Mind doing me a little favor?"

&&&&&

Somehow, Agent Bishop's thoughts had drifted off the current crisis at hand. As he sat in his chair watching the team that had come in to work on the antidote, his hands delicately folded over his stomach, he thought of New Orleans- as it had been in 1812, when he was a soldier. When he was abducted.

One moment, he was moving across the ground, his weapon in his arms. The next… light and darkness blended in a lacerating blaze. He'd come to on the ship, unable to move. The gray aliens' faces were above his, their unearthly hands holding instruments he'd never seen. Bright lights flashed all around him.

For the first time in his life, John Bishop had truly been terrified.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a buzzing sound that accompanied the doors as they _swished_ opened. Stockman in his robotic body entered the room. Bishop straightened his tie. "Come to see the progress, Doctor Stockman?" He asked, not looking at his head scientist. Instead, he drew his attention to the large screen in the distance which was calculating the probable results of the cure.

All of his crew members were on the job once more. Monroe and Ballenger were instructing Wong and the thin scientist, who Bishop sadly still did not know the name of. He heard Ballenger mention the name Roderick and associated it to the blonde man.

Stockman passed a glance at his team and walked over to Bishop. "No, sir. I'm here for… other reasons. One of the turtle creatures requests an audience with you." Judging from the tone of the doctor's voice, Bishop wouldn't have been surprised to see his cheeks flushed in anger- had he still had cheeks, of course.

Adjusting his sunglasses, the government agent rose to his feet. "So they're all still here then? I would have thought at least one of them would have gone after Leonardo when he disappeared."

"They came to the realization that they'd be better off to have the cure first," His head scientist replied, now turning his attention to the console reporting the technical studies on the said project. According to it, they were at eight percent.

Behind shaded lenses, Bishop examined the sterile floor with his hands tucked behind his back. "If I'd been aware of that, I'd have sent a team to look for him." He made a gesture with one hand. "Do we have any idea where he is?"

Stockman snorted. "I'm sure his family does, Agent Bishop. If they tell us though, it will only be under the influence of drugs. Which we can always arrange."

Walking towards the door, Bishop shook his head. 'I think not, Doctor. It may interfere with the blood samples I wish to collect from them before they're cured." He grinned, for the first time in several hours. "There's no telling what interesting tales their DNA might tell while impressed by the infection. So you have any other plans?"

The scientist sighed, obviously knowing he would be the one to collect those samples. But he moved on to the other question at hand. "Actually, now that you mention it, I have been considering a rather conceivable course of action. It's worth a shot, though I can make no guarantees that it will work-"

"Get on it," Bishop interrupted as they exited, paying no mind to the other scientists. He was about to find a group of soldiers to prepare for tracking down the turtle when Stockman brought him back to the first matter.

"Sir?" He questioned. "What about Donatello?"

Apparently, it was the purple-clad ninja who wished to speak with him. Bishop closed his eyes. What joy of joys. "Where is he?"

&&&&&

So that she could watch them carefully, Karai had the three members of the infected travel ahead of her as they moved throughout the tower. As her aides had already handled the two on Level Sixty, they were all going together to Level Forty-seven. The other two, along with the sickly soldier, were back in her quarters, under sedation.

The six of them moved inside the private elevator and began to travel downwards toward the desired floor. On her far left, her two infected soldiers examined the box like they had never been in an elevator before, their eyes roaming over each decorated nook and cranny with wonder and excitement. The daughter of Oroku Saki wondered what they could possibly be seeing. Leonardo seemed far less interested; he leaned against the elevator wall and coughed, closing his eyes sleepily.

She had been startled but somewhat pleased when he'd awoken earlier to tell her that he had no memory whatsoever of his family. As long as he had no questions, she would not have to keep up her lie. He was hers to persuade as needed now.

For how long, however, she was unsure. Karai had not missed the palpable decline in Leo's health as well when he'd awoken. No doubt, he'd soon be accompanying her ill soldier in her quarters. He'd be dead before she could have vengeance for her father!

With a _beep_, they reached the forty-seventh floor and Leonardo's eyes opened. The doors separated and Karai placed a gloved hand over them to keep the elevator from closing. Her light eyes flickered to the infected group, who were not so delirious that they couldn't understand the cue. The three of them went first, filing into the darkened hallway and examining things curiously while Karai and her two aides followed with more caution, wary not only of any more dangerous infected soldiers that could attack but of coming in contact with the ones they were with. She looked at the shattered lights above- her men had clearly taken care of them. They could see little.

When nothing happened, Karai looked at Leonardo, who appeared pained but far more alert, a shadow before her. He and the other two were all staring in the opposite direction. "Where is the nearest soldier?" She questioned them softly.

They hushed her, their hearing so sensitive as it was. Naturally, the other infected throughout the building could no doubt hear her, but there was little she could do to prevent that. She had to speak to them by some means.

Her jaw setting in a firm line, she set towards them, ready to convey this, when the man answered. "There's one right in front of us," He whispered.

Instantly tensing, Karai raised her hand to the hilt of her weapon and prepared to draw it. As far ahead as this person must be, he had to have been in the darker parts of the corridor, where her eyes had not yet adjusted to the light.

Her three weapons, however, were more than ready. They stared at her quizzically, as well as the aides who had moved into a fighting stance. "He's asleep," Leo said quietly.

The girl was the first to move, walking into the dark almost playfully. Karai waited for the man and Leonardo to follow before doing so as well, keeping an eye on the turtle's shell. Soon, the tan skin of her female Foot soldier became visible, kneeling by a lump on the ground. Hesitantly, Karai moved by her side, careful not to touch either of them.

It was indeed one of her soldiers. He was snoring, sound asleep. Karai could only wish they would find them all like this.

She smiled lightly and looked at her Foot ninja. "Do any of you recall how to use the pressure points you were taught?"

The woman's hand shot into the air. "Ooh! I do!" She hoarsely shouted. The sleeping man did no more than stir.

The Japanese woman gave a curt nod. "Then please do so."

Rubbing her fingers, the girl gently tilted the man's head. He fidgeted and looked to be on the verge of waking when she placed her finger against his neck. Again, he became limp, relaxed. Karai nearly sighed in relief. When they were sure he would not wake, she motioned to one of her aides, who approached with a needle full of a powerful sedative. He injected it all into the ninja; the man would be out for at least twenty-four hours.

Now there was the trouble of moving him. She looked up to the turtle, who was staring uncomfortably at the needle. "Leonardo? Would you care to move him?" She commanded gently.

The ninja nodded. Karai backed away in surprise as the man suddenly floated into the air, his legs and arms hanging beneath him and nearly touching the floor. "Where-" He coughed. "Where do you want him- whim, shim, grim?"

"Place him close to the elevator," She said, standing. Slowly, the body floated away. "Now, where is the next one of my ninjas?"

"Why didn't you ask?" The girl whispered, getting to her feet. "He's right here."

She hadn't counted the bodies until then. Instead of six, Karai found seven of them standing by. She'd expected the attack, but she hadn't imagined it would be so fast.

&&&&&

They met in the same room he'd held the interrogation with Leonardo in. Donatello's choice, obviously. Bishop despised coming back to places where he had made grievous errors in judgment.

A different turtle was sitting at the opposite side of the table this time, however. Bishop sat down and stared at the purple-clad turtle, who was fiddling with the frequency device his brother had destroyed. It was supposed to have been removed- so how he had gotten a hold of it, the government agent didn't know.

Bishop straightened his tie. "I take it you asked me here for a reason, Donatello, so why not let us get straight to the point. I have quite a lot of things to see to."

"Yes, you're a busy man, Bishop," Donny said, slamming the device on the table with a metallic _thud_. "Causing viruses that could kill all life on the globe, trying to cure those viruses while still making yourself look good- very busy, yes."

Unfazed, Bishop examined his fingernails. "If you want something from me, Donatello, I'd suggest being nice." He looked up. "Flattery really does get you everywhere. Just ask Doctor Stockman."

Sighing, the turtle sank back into his chair. He was lucky- if this were Raphael, not only would he have not stopped here, he wouldn't have stopped with words. Don tapped the table. "I need a favor."

"Another one? I should keep a tab."

Don didn't respond to that; his only motion was to fold his hands. "I would like it if you were to let my brother out of his cell."

The man snorted. "It's out of the question. With his infection, he's a risk to everyone on base."

"That's the thing!" Don shouted. "He's not! Mikey isn't like Raph- he's not even like Leo. He doesn't have very many anger issues to sort through- he'll behave. The _worst_ thing you can do is keep him in there. I'd be doing you a favor."

Agent Bishop smiled. "Anger issues… none that you know of, anyways. Everyone has a dark side, dear Donatello. Even the peaceable have a temper," He aimed the last comment at him.

He was very quiet, but soon spoke. "That's true. But Mikey is _still_ different. He's not as bad as them. If he's with us… really, he'll do better. I know what you're doing, Bishop. We're all a bunch of experiments to you. Here's a new one."

Folding his fingers, the man examined him. Human and creature, they stared at each other. The risk was high, but Donatello did bring out a valid point. Michelangelo was a very little problem- Bishop had examined the surveillance footage from his cell. True, he was extremely powerful, but he had shown no other signs of dangerous behavior, as long as he wasn't provoked.

And it would be an interesting study, to say the least. Raphael was going away tonight, that much was certain. The two varied so much, he couldn't wait to see the effects it might have. Were he to report it to the President, changing a few details of course, he might even be commended. Not only would he have cured the infection, he'd have found a way to help others recognize the various emotional signs of it.

And no doubt, the turtle had blackmail to bring into the mix if he didn't go with the flow.

Bishop smiled. "He'll be in your charge. One too many mishaps, and I'm afraid he'll be back in his little cell."

Don looked at him in disbelief; like he honestly hadn't expected for him to go with this. "Really?" The man nodded. "What's the catch?"

"It's just as I told you. He presents a heavy problem, we throw him back in. It all rests upon your shoulders."

Nodding grimly, Don got up and headed for the door.

"And Donatello?" Bishop called to him. "We'll keep his room ready."

&&&&&

The door to his cell swung open, revealing a gray hallway and several soldiers, all armed to the teeth. Mikey smiled happily at them and held out his hands sleepily when someone came to bind his wrists together again.

He was instructed to move them apart; they were testing the restraints. Mike did so and they held firm.

Pleased with this, the men moved into position to transport the turtle to the next room, where his brothers were waiting. He noticed that the soldiers kept a steady distance from him and watched him over carefully as they walked, their eyes shifting quickly back and forth beneath their red tinted visors.

_They're afraid of you._ His voice explained.

"Why?" Mikey asked, startling the men. A few nearly trained their weapons on him then and there. Seeing this, the ninja saw that this was the truth, but he still didn't understand why.

_They fear your power._ It said. _Fully developed, it is stronger than any weapon. It's a piece of you and you a piece of it, unlike any other weapon which relies on some sort of trigger. When you get stronger, when you learn, you can do anything with it._

"Could I fly?" Mike asked excitedly.

_Of course._

"And save the world- like the Justice Force?" He asked as he moved. The men seemed to have understood what he was doing, though they didn't seem to be able to hear the voice.

_Only if you learn how to save yourself first._

&&&&&

When Mikey was brought in to the room, he was wearing the curious expression of a toddler, looking over every part of the room as if it were new to him. Don had merely read descriptions of the sonar, so he could only imagine what his little brother was seeing upon this second time around; what secrets he knew of the room's architecture that natural senses couldn't understand.

Upon catching sight of his family, Mike's face broke out into a grin. "Hey! Guess what? They said I could come out now! I get to stay with you guys, right?"

Don nodded. "Yes, as long as you don't do anything inappropriate with the power," He told him, all the while wondering what Bishop would consider 'inappropriate'. He didn't bother mentioning the government agent; hopefully Mike had forgotten him by now. And Splinter and Raph didn't need to know right now, though he was sure they'd ask questions sooner rather than later.

But more importantly, he despised the fact that he'd had to beg the man for this small favor. It was bad enough that they were here now, trusting him with their lives for the second time; but since that first time after he'd been mutated and nearly died, Don discovered that he loathed the man with more hatred than he would've thought could possibly reside in his being.

Thinking of this, the turtle's eyes were drawn down to his brother's wrists, which were once again bound. Anger dripped through his veins, but instead, Don surprisingly found the humor in the situation and grinned. "You do know that was pointless, right?" He asked of the soldiers by Mikey's side. They gave him a blank stare, clearly wondering what he meant. "He can break out of those anytime he wants now- if he'd wanted to hurt you, or infect you, he would've done it by now." Looking back to his brother, he took a few steps closer and clapped him gently on the shoulder, grateful that he was immune to the virus. "You can take those off if you want, Mikey."

The ninja grinned and glanced at the plastic band that held his hands tightly together. A wave of intense concentration passed over his features and Don watched in fascination as the fetter tugged in opposite directions, trying to loosen. Soon enough, they did, the plastic bent and misshapen from the strain. Mikey let them drop to the floor before turning his head back up again, his cheery look in its common place once more.

Raph stood and walked over, giving his youngest brother a grin before glaring at the soldiers. The wrath of the temperamental turtle's headache was coming on now, so he was not in a pleasant mood. "Wanna go now?" He suggested maliciously.

One stood his ground. "Agent Bishop wishes that two of us remain on duty."

He got in the man's face. "Fine. Remain on duty somewhere else."

This guy was strong, he managed to keep eye contact and stand tall. Only two of the others could do both at the same time, it seemed. "I can't do that. He wants two of us to remain posted outside the door, in case there's trouble."

Before Raph could snap, Master Splinter put his hand on his son's shoulder, then brought it back down to his cane. "Very well. Do as you were instructed," He said.

The soldiers showed no sign of respect other than to just that. With a quick turn of their heels, each marched back out into the hallway and before the doors slid shut, Don was able to see the majority head off while two, including the one Raphael had spoken to, remained stationed at the doorway like they'd said.

Raph growled and punched a metal table, creating a sharp twang that moved throughout the room. As sensitive as Mikey's senses were, Don wasn't surprised when his little brother jumped at the noise, though he was taken aback by the vacant look that soon accompanied his eyes as he moved his head about. _The sonar_. He realized.

By the time he was brought back to reality, Raph was swearing up a storm. Even when he calmed down, he was breathing rage heavily, pacing the room like he didn't know what he was supposed to hit. In the corner, Stockman ignored all of this. He'd been unnaturally silent since Mike had knocked him flat on his back. Leatherhead watched his friend sadly, knowing all too well, Donny felt, the reason behind his sudden tantrum. Perhaps the giant croc was also reflecting on whether this was how he appeared when he could no longer restrain his anger. Master Splinter just stood there with his head turned to the floor, his hands grasping his cane. Splinter was on the same day as Raph… clearly he understood what was happening all too well with the turtle, even if the rat master held a certain greater amount of control than he.

Punching at inanimate structures again, a wall this time, Raph yelled then collapsed onto a chair, his teeth grit. "Why do we have to put up with them?" He asked. "Those lousy son of a bitches can't even wipe their own asses without orders- how are they supposed to help us with Mikey? And with Leo?"

Don had noticed that Raph had been swearing more frequently lately; well, more than was usual for him. He wondered how much it had to do with the infection.

"Raphael," Splinter reprimanded, eyes darting to the doors. He must've been thinking the same as them: if all the commotion would draw in the men from outside. But clearly they knew what was going on. "You must control yourself, my son. I know it is hard, but you must try."

The turtle in red breathed deeper and looked to the floor. After a while, he muttered, "You didn't answer my question."

Splinter chuckled. "You already know it, my son. In this situation, we cannot afford to make rash actions that will cause grievous mistakes. We must oblige our enemies for now, as hard as it may be. Once the antidote to the infection is complete, we will be able to solve the rest of our problems. We must be patient until then."

Raph nodded. "I understand, Sensei."

In the silence that followed, Mikey looked at each face carefully, confused by his family's behavior. "What's wrong?" He asked.

The red-clad turtle raised his head and seemed to take Mikey in for the first time. He sighed. "Sorry, bro," He apologized. "There's just some stuff goin' on…"

Finding a chair, the ninja sat on it. "Not the good kind… mind… rind… grind?" He reasoned, surprising Don with his insight at this stage of his infection.

Grinning half-heartedly, Raph nodded again. "Ya hit the nail on the head, bro."

The orange-banded sibling tilted his head in confusion. "I did?" He frowned. "I hope I didn't hurt him," He said, causing Raph to snicker slightly.

If those words hadn't been a sign of Mike's failure to comprehend, Don might've laughed too.

&&&&&

Raph bit his lip and clawed at the cushion of his seat. His headache had intensified so wildly, he wanted to scream. Closing his eyes, he rested it on the back of the wall. That helped little- the feel of it- the texture and everything imprinted so quickly in his mind that it made him want to itch it away.

He could smell the chemicals of the lab and the pencil led. Nasty stuff, indeed. And God could he hear.

God could he hear everything now…

&&&&&

Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun! Raph's getting worse!

Sorry for the short chap, but I hope you liked it! And also forgive me for the delay. I went as fast as I could, really!

Please review!


	19. Lighten Up

(comes in sheepishly) Uh… hi?

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last updated this? Over a month, huh? Wow.

Please let me apologize for that. You see, since school is out, I haven't had as much time to go onto the computer. In fact, until last Monday, my count had reached twenty-three days. I was very upset. In addition to that, my dad's computer broke down. I do a lot of my typing at his house and am usually able to finish a chapter in a day- two at the most. But since it was broke and he took so long to fix it… well, I had to wait.

Also, and this is my own fault here, I've been rather focused on Cork. I just love writing it! But since its chapters tend to be three times longer then Infection's, it meant a waiting game. Add in the fact that I was and still am a little bit ill and we just set everything back some more.

However, now the sixth chapter of that is done and I've vowed not to continue until I've written at least one for this story and one for Edge of Calamity. I might write two for Infection, I'm _so_ off course. (blushes) Please forgive.

In case anyone needs a refresher- Raph and Splinter are rapidly approaching Day Five, Mikey is on Day Six, and Leo is on Day Eleven.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned the TMNT, it would just be taken away from me. It's better to dream.

&&&&&

Agilely backing away from the attacks and touch of the ninja that had no doubt served her well in the past, Karai was careful not to collide into any of the other infected parties that had accompanied her here. In the darkness of the hallway, she aptly hit the ground as the assailant sent out a telekinetic wave that picked one of her aides and the male Foot ninja up off of the ground and threw them across the hallway. The short man hit the wall with a moan but the infected ninja stopped abruptly before impact and set himself upon the floor.

As this was happening, Karai motioned with one hand to her aide capable of moving to act and the two rushed forward, swords drawn. The new leader of the Foot clan had no desire to kill her beloved ninja and it pained her to act against them, but her father had taught her from an early age to think quickly and to always do what she must.

While the tall man took the front, she slid to their opposition's side and with a quick move, readied her sword to strike. She had not forgotten about the many abilities the infected possessed. Rather, Karai had hoped two attackers would give one the opportune moment to get in close with their weapon. Apparently that was not the case; mere inches from the shadowy frame of the aggressor, her blade would go no farther, no matter how hard her arms willed it. She had the sickening feeling it was the same for her aide.

Now the sword was bending backward and her feet were stuck in place. Her light eyes widened, knowing what this infected ninja was planning. Her first instinct was to release the sword, but she knew that that would only accomplish the opposite of what she hoped for. Then, the katana would be free to spin backwards and strike her either in the chest of in the face.

That was when she felt another force on her weapon, this one pushing against the blade. Soon, it had straightened the sword out to its original form. Unfortunately, the other ninja was aware of this and was now turning all of his power against her. The other aide had been thrown against the wall.

In response to this, Karai felt… _something_ tightening across her abdomen. With a sudden jerk, it pulled her back and twisted her halfway across the corridor. In the shadows, she made out the face of Leonardo. The turtle leaned against the wall and coughed before looking at her and smiling. "He's not very good," The teenager reasoned. "You think- link, stink, brink- he's mad at me?"

Karai sighed. "Leonardo, I thank you for your assistance, but I do not have the time to indulge in your ramblings right now."

He bowed his head. "Sorry."

The Japanese woman placed the elegant fingers of her right hand across her brow. Never before had she required the relaxation of a getaway but after this, she might consider one. A place very remote, she decided. Just her and the soothing tranquility of tea sliding down her throat. "I did not mean it like that, Leonardo. We are in a very dangerous situation and I need everyone to focus on that. Is there any other-"

The turtle went into another coughing fit, sending him to his knees. Karai outstretched her free hand to keep him upright before recalling what might happen to her is she touched him and recoiled it quickly. Deciding to leave him be for the moment, she turned on her heel to rejoin the fight- only to come face-to-face with the one she'd just been saved from.

Gritting her teeth, she took a stance, raising her katana. Feigning a move, the new Shredder ran forward and slid between the legs of the infected ninja, cutting him across his ankle as she did so. Just as his scream of pain split the halls, she was rising to her feet, praying to God that she couldn't catch the infection from an article of clothing.

Where were the other two she had brought along? She wouldn't have bothered if they were going to prove to be this useless. Just as she was thinking these thoughts and right as their attacker turned to face her, she saw them. The male ninja had joined her to her right, cracking his knuckles and looking at her, as if waiting for instructions. The female was staring up at the ceiling, grinning like a fool. She wanted to scream at them to move but instead she pointed at the enemy with her sword. It took the man a while to understand what that meant, but when he did, he did as he was told, attacking with a display of his abilities. The other man raised his arm to defend himself and soon they were both fighting against each other. It quickly became apparent that it would be impossible for her to join the fight.

It was amazing to watch. When one would be thrown up to the air, they would use that to their advantage by unleashing an attack from overhead, launching projectiles at the other's head, sometimes even slamming bodies into objects. The one below could hit them from beneath and do the same, of course, but there was no telling which technique did the worst damage. All Karai could tell was that this corridor was quickly reaching the peak of destruction. Leonardo, seemingly recovered, had joined the battle and this only added to the mayhem. For while all other infected she had seen could only use 'the power' to move objects and people, she noticed that Leo was able to create forces. He was producing waves that sent not only the one he meant to attack to the floor, but the one he was currently allied with. Sometimes pieces of the wall where previous objects had been thrown would fall out. While these others were living instruments of war, Leonardo could be a precise tool.

With all of this happening, it was some time before she noticed that the woman, who was fully capable of fighting, had not joined them. She was still staring at the ceiling, grinning. Karai walked forward in disbelief. "What are you doing?" She asked furiously.

"Huh?" The girl said. "Oh. I'm almost done- sun, one, run."

Before Karai could go on, she heard a _snap_. She craned her head upwards and felt something metallic hit her forehead. Wincing lightly, she found the object and examined it in the dark. It was a screw. The woman blinked and looked at the demolished floor. Her eyes had adjusted well enough by now that she could make out most of the wreckage. Several screws were lying on the floor.

Following that _snap_, there was a _creak_. _The support beam_, Karai thought in horror. She looked up at the ninja and the girl was smiling. "You might wanna stay back."

Suddenly, the other ninja was at her side. The ninja he'd been attacking was screaming in rage. Looking up, Karai saw that he couldn't move; Leonardo had bounded him with a telekinetic force. The turtle walked over and coughed a little. "He'll be okay, right?"

"Sure!" The girl shouted. And then it all came crashing down.

&&&&&

Amazingly, someone on Area 51 was nice. And more surprisingly, that same person kept a chess board on the base. Bishop's soldier, sent in to check on them, had come in on one of Mikey's 'I'm Bored' speeches and had brought the set in for them. Donny hadn't known what to say.

Nor did he now. Michelangelo, who had once thought that chess was a strange way to spell cheese when he was younger, was creaming him at the game now that he understood the rules. Already Don had lost three pawns, a rook, and a knight. He himself had taken two of his brother's pawn and one bishop.

In a skilled move, the orange-clad turtle's white queen had put Don's king into check. He got out of the sticky spot… only for his sibling to move his bishop and put him into checkmate.

The turtle blinked. "I hate bishops."

"Wanna play again?" Mikey asked, smiling. Don liked the fact that the ninja was unaware that this was the first time anyone besides Splinter or Leo had ever beaten him at the game.

Don returned the grin. "Sure. Good game."

"Will you shut up?" Raph hissed at them, settled on the floor in the corner of the room. He was concentrating on the ground with his hands over his ears.

"Not feeling good?" Mikey asked.

"I said shut up!" Raph snapped.

"Raphael!" Splinter barked at him from his meditation, surprising them all. "Sit," He whispered. "Calm yourself." The red-clad turtle drew his hands down and crawled over to the space in front of their master, folding his legs into the lotus position. "Meditation clears the mind, my son. Relax," The old rat soothed.

Frowning, Raph bowed his head and tried while his brothers looked on. A few minutes later, Don's attention was brought back to Mikey. "He didn't have to be so mean," The other pouted.

Don patted him on the shoulder. "He didn't mean to, Mikey. Raph's just not feeling very well right now." But Mike could not be consoled. Sighing, the young ninja kept tipping his king over with his fingers, only to raise it back up again with the power. "I have an idea. Why don't you set up the board again and we'll play? That sound good?"

His brother visibly brightened. "Yeah." He quickly began to gather the pieces.

"Okay. You do that and I'll be right back." Stepping away from the table, Don walked over to Leatherhead, who had put down his research to watch Raph and Splinter. The turtle joined him, noting all of the signs he'd cataloged while caring for Michelangelo. "It's happening, isn't it?" He asked.

The croc looked at him. "Yes, I believe it is."

He chewed lightly on his lip. _In a few hours I'll be the only sane one left in my family. _Don tried to fathom how this could've happened. A single touch had ruined them all.

"Thus far," Leatherhead assured him; "The tests have brought in good results. All will be well, my friend."

"But what if it isn't?" He asked.

"You mustn't think like that, Donatello," Leatherhead quickly counseled him. "For if you do, then it never will be."

On the other side of the room, Stockman snorted. He raised his finger as if to say something when Leatherhead quickly turned and snarled at him, silencing the scientist. Glaring, Baxter put his hand down.

Don couldn't help but laugh.

"Donny! Donny!" Mikey shouted. The purple-banded turtle hoped that their other family members hadn't been disturbed by the noise, but they looked well. Turning to Leatherhead, he smiled when the croc gave him a look that said go-ahead. "I want to be the white pieces this time!"

"Mikey, you were the white pieces last time," Don reminded him as he sat down.

"Oh." His little brother cocked his head. "Well can I be them again?"

He nodded and grinned. "Yes, Mikey. You can be white again."

&&&&&

His chest hurt; that made his throat hurt. He couldn't stop coughing and every time he went into a fit, all the turtle wanted to do was sit down and rest. But he couldn't do that for long. He had to help in the fight. This person- he had the power. But he wasn't like them; he didn't use the power to do good things. So it was up to Leonardo and those others with the power to stop him.

Leonardo. That's what that lady called him. _What a funny name_.

Besides his duty, he doubted he'd be able to rest anyways. There was just this strange feeling he got every time he tried… like he was _supposed_ to fight. And not just because he could, but because it was a part of him. Like it was written into his very DNA. He was a defender of the worthy… or something like that.

The girl with the power had come up with an ingenious plan not long into their battle. As Leo was recovering from a coughing spell on the floor, he allowed his sonar to stretch out far and wide throughout the corridor. Up above, he could hear and thus feel the screws of the support beam loosening. The ceiling had been all but destroyed earlier when someone had tossed a door up into it, missing their original human target. There were little bugs crawling around there, most dead now. He felt sorry for them.

_Insects are not capable of intelligent thought. You're such a kind soul, but there is no need to mourn their passing._

It was true they weren't intelligent, but they still did incredible things. "Can they feel pain, though?" He had asked.

_It is possible. But do you think if it is so that they are suffering any longer?_

"No," Leo had to admit.

_Then you have nothing to lament over. However, you do feel pain and you are capable of intelligent thought. The ceiling is about to come down. Now might be the best time to move._

"Right- sight, light, kite," The turtle said. Already his partner in crime was moving away. Using the power, Leo bound the other man's arms to his sides and kept his feet in place, leaving him unable to move. This done, he began walking back to the others.

Above, the girl was using her power to strike at certain places, bringing down only a few parts of the structure. The Japanese lady looked shocked. "Are you sure he's going to be all right?" Leo asked his new friend.

"Sure!" The girl said. And with a final blow above them, it all came down.

_He is not a bug either, Leonardo. _The teacher warned him.

Biting his lip, he quickly tried to imagine how the large piece of wood and the ceiling would come down. There was metal too- he'd be pierced through and bashed, his body mutilated.

His eyes widened. At the last second, he concentrated on using the power to protect the fragile body so many feet before him. Just as the large chunks seemed about to crush him… they rolled off an invisible surface. Leo let a smaller one collide with the person's head, knocking him unconscious, but protected him from everything else.

Seeing what he was doing, the woman began to help him while the man began fixing everything falling above them. Soon, all was suspended and locked into place and the two of them were pulling the body out from the wreckage. He had nothing but a bruise on his head. The female Foot ninja directed him over to the elevator, where they had dumped the last ninja.

He turned his head and looked at Karai. She did not seem happy. In the dark, she kneeled on the floor, examining her shorter aide. The tallest had gotten to his feet. She stood and turned to them. Thanks to the power, Leo's eyesight was ten times better than what it had been and he could make out her eyes. "Next time," She instructed them, "May we please go about this without destroying my headquarters?" Her stare turned into a glare. "And while I am pleased that you got the job done, I would also like to be granted a warning pertaining to when we encounter my next soldier _before_ he is five feet in front of us. Is that understood?" They all nodded. "Very good," She said with a sigh. "Now, where is the next one?"

It was the male soldier to respond. "There's two- glue, sue, boo- just over the wreckage, about ten feet away."

The woman nodded. "Then let us get started."

Leo stood in place for a moment, watching them all as they went. It would take some time to cross this path, but that was fine with him. He was more concerned about these soldiers. Were they getting them all?

Already standing atop of a small hill of drywall, Karai turned to look at him, raising her eyebrows in inquiry, clearly wondering what he was doing.

There were thirty-five more people in this building. And while the fight might have been a part of him, Leo wasn't sure how much longer he could go on straight bending to its will. His chest hurt so bad.

_It is your decision what you do with the power. Are you sure you are making the correct choice? _The teacher asked.

"What's that supposed to mean- lean, green, clean?" Leo asked him curiously. "How am I supposed to know?"

_Ah, that always is a difficult question, isn't it? _The voice reasoned. _Look at it like this. While we can't always be sure what option is right, think hard enough and it becomes clear which alternative is wrong._

"But that- hat, mat, rat- doesn't make any sense," Leo pointed out the flaw in the riddle.

"Leonardo," Karai said sternly, causing the turtle to look up.

He nodded. "Sorry. I'm coming."

&&&&&

Breathing easily, Splinter opened his eyes. It was strange how different the world looked in just that small amount of time. He could feel it changing as he'd sat to meditate but now that he could behold it, it was similar to those strange planets that his sons liked to watch on that television channel. _Sci-Fi_, was it? Yes, that seemed right.

Of course, it wasn't _that _peculiar. Just brighter and sharper; so much more detailed. Even his acute hearing had evolved; before him, Raphael was no longer meditating but in a very light sleep- Splinter could tell by his breathing. Thankfully there were no snores. The rat feared that might have shattered his ear drums, as Leatherhead's scribbles were coming close to accomplishing. He wished to tell his old friend to stop but knew better. The crocodile was no doubt working on something regarding the cure- something very important, indeed. And that was something Splinter could endure. It wouldn't be for long, after all.

Under his fur, the metal was very smooth and cold. It made him grateful for his thick coating of hair though he now wished that he hadn't made Raphael sit on the floor. His son wasn't as lucky in that department- he wasn't even warm-blooded. Master Splinter wondered if it would be possible to find the teenager a blanket. He looked up to see Michelangelo sleeping with his head on the table and Donatello reading a book.

There was a swelling in his chest. Oh, what fine sons he had. Splinter could remember every wonderful thing that they had done in their short lives. Everything from Raphael's handstands to Michelangelo's artwork all the way to their numerous battles once they were teenagers. What a shame it would be if their lives were to end now. The rat looked to the floor, unable to mask his pain.

If they weren't so old, he would hold them all in his arms now. He probably could manage it, in fact. Donatello wouldn't mind, he was sure, and his current state, neither would Michelangelo. And Raphael, asleep as he was, wouldn't have any say about it. If Leonardo were here, he too wouldn't have any complaints.

Master Splinter truly hoped that he would see his eldest again. There were but three more days until he was to die, and with what Leatherhead had explained about how his and Michelangelo's timelines might have advanced, there might have been less time than that.

The rat sighed. Suddenly, he looked around the room. Thinking of Leonardo made him realize that there was one more person who should've been here that no longer was.

Doctor Stockman was gone.

&&&&&

Stockman entered the room, more than grateful to be out of that hellhole watching all of those deranged and sappy mutants. If it weren't for the fact that someone of a higher authority needed to be in there to monitor things, due to Agent Bishop's ridiculous agreement with the turtle Donatello, Stockman would've been able to come and go as he'd pleased. It was _infuriating_.

He walked over to Monroe and concealed his pleasure. "What do you have for me? I'm a very busy man and do not have the time to be paged at everyone's whim."

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, sir. This is important. I called you here because Wong is almost done with the testing; we should have the results in the next five minutes and I thought you should be here to see them."

"Ah. Very good, then," He lightly commended her. "Have you notified Agent Bishop?"

"Yes. He told us he was too busy to come," The woman said. "He wants you to inform him of the findings as soon as we're done, though."

_Too busy? _Stockman mused over this. _Doing what exactly? I was not informed of anything. _Folding his arms, the scientist looked around the room. For the first time he noticed that a large spot of red was missing. "Where is Doctor Ballenger?" He asked.

The raven-haired woman looked up. "When we told Bishop we were almost ready, he requested to see him." Before the man could ask any further questions, she went on. "Doctor Stockman, while were waiting, I wanted to show you something." If Stockman could roll his eye, he would. He couldn't even run away in time. "After examining the footage we saw of the turtle's lateral ventricles, I've been keeping an eye on it this whole time. That piece of tissue…" She shook her head; "There's some _really_ interesting stuff going on up there, sir."

"And what, pray tell, is it?" He asked annoyingly.

She didn't catch it. Rolling her chair over to the monitoring screens, Monroe typed in a few sequences and pulled up some of the footage in question. "All right. Now, that tissue doesn't always light up, but it seems to do so a lot. I wish we had the turtle here so I could see what he was doing at the time… But the point is, every time it does, it gains mass. See, this is when we first saw it…" She made some more typing motions; "And this is it now."

It was true. It had grown at least a third of its previous size. Drawing closer, Stockman found himself interested.

She went on. "Also, sometimes it glows radiantly- and when it does that, it sends these waves to different parts of the brain. I've converted one camera into a rudimentary MRI machine, if you can believe it, and have been getting little shots of what happens. When the tissue does that, the parts of the brain that are affected will light up- like a freaking Christmas tree." She looked at him.

Stockman tapped the screen, where an image had been frozen. "This area is related to how we perceive fatigue."

"Yes- that one is stimulated rather often. I always thought that it mostly had to do with the infected's fever but apparently not so."

"Are there any other areas, Monroe?"

The woman nodded. "Of course. First are those areas where we perceive sound, which is hit constantly, it seems. And once, I've seen it hit here. That it where we discern hunger. Strange thing is, after that, the tissue grew tremendously."

Standing, the doctor watched the current footage. The tissue was lighting up again. In the course of five minutes, it had hit three areas. "Is it just me, or if proceeding faster than what you showed me?"

She nodded. "It is. That's what I was getting at. I think I've figured out why the infected die in two weeks. If what you found in Coombs' lungs doesn't get them first, this tissue will over stimulate those certain areas of their brains until it knocks the into a coma and death follows."

&&&&&

"How much longer do we have?" Karai asked the aide on her left in a hushed tone. She wasn't entirely sure why- the three ahead of them were more than capable of hearing the conversation.

He lowered his head to comment to her. "Approximately two hours, mistress. Then we will need to retrieve the fallen soldiers and sedate them."

She nodded. "Let's make it sooner. I shall not be taking any chances with them."

They had come far since the incident on Level Forty-seven. Not only had they secured all eleven there, a task that had before seemed daunting to her and which had not been completed without difficulty, but they had also managed to capture the two soldiers on Level Forty-three and Thirty-five. Finding the elevator, they were about to move to the floor below when the infected man refused to get in.

"Come," Karai ordered him.

He shook his head and his shoulders sagged. "I'm tired," The man insisted, leaning against the wall. "Let's do this later."

Pushing the button that would keep the doors open, the daughter of the Shredder stepped out. "We do not have the time to do so. You must come _now_."

Folding his arms over his chest, her soldier stuck his tongue out at her, stirring a rage within Karai that had thus far only been simmering inside of her after once boiling over. She was a very patient woman, but of all the disrespectful…!

Drawing her sword, she held the tip at the man's neck. "You are fortunate that I understand that your malady impairs your better sense of judgment," She hissed. "Now I suggest you return your tongue back in to its proper place before I am forced to remove it."

Though the man did just that, the action was not made out of any fear of her. As unmovable as the earth's mountains, he glared at her hotly, daring her to force him to do anything against his will. And though she was sure she could find ways to persuade him, Karai knew that that was a fact.

Behind her, the female ninja let out a low whistle to the previous comment. "_Touchy_…" She said, leaning against the elevator wall and letting out a yawn.

Giving the soldier before her one last steady glower, Karai sheathed her weapon and turned. "Are you weary as well?" She asked, all traces of anger vanished. The woman nodded. Shifting her head, she looked at Leonardo, who had again been seized by a coughing spell earlier. "And you?"

"Yes," He answered, his eyes distant. "Kinda hungry too."

They had all just rested not too long before. It frustrated Karai that they would be tired out so quickly; she still had much that she had wanted to accomplish. For next time they went out on one of these excursions, she certainly would not be bringing her two aides along, as much as she would have liked their presence. But with the sixteen souls that would be left in her quarters, she could not afford to leave them unattended; her men would have to serve as guards.

Karai sighed, her shoulders aching. She too was tired; she had not rested while the three had and while she was up for this task, it had been at least twenty-four hours since she had last slept. Finally, she nodded. "Very well," She said. "First, let us collect my soldiers and bring them with us. Then you all may rest." Before Leo could open his mouth, she walked into the elevator, pleased when the other ninja followed. "And I shall see to it that you have something to eat, Leonardo."

He blinked, then gave her a warm smile that she surprisingly found herself returning, much to her displeasure. After that, he was sent into such a violent coughing fit that he was driven to his knees; it took him several minutes before he could stand again.

&&&&&

I miss the days when nine page chapters seemed decent and not really short. What has Cork done to me?!?!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and didn't find it incredibly boring. I'm really sorry if you did. So please drop me a little review, and thanks for reading!


	20. Divide

(waves) Hello once again! I have just returned from my vacation and am ready to get back to work. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to write much during my trip as I'd planned; it was awfully cramped in the back seat and I could barely open a paperback novel, much less my notebook. However, I thought long and hard on my two stories and thus was able to write fairly quickly upon my return. Besides, I couldn't get to the Internet until this point anyways, so it wouldn't have mattered much, I suppose.

Anyways, I suppose I should let you all get to reading. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Unless the TMNT are for sale at this point for forty-nine dollars and fifty-three cents, they still aren't mine and aren't about to be anytime soon. But if they are, have Peter Laird give me a call.

&&&&&

Taking precautionary measures, Karai had the soldiers sedated once more before they entered her quarters. That done, the woman walked into the room, ever-conscious of the positions the three infected had taken, as well as of the bodies they levitated through the air behind her. As she walked over to the beds where upon the three they had left behind lay, she turned her head slightly to instruct the group. "Place them here," She told them, gracefully indicating a section of the room closest to the East wall. Then she glanced over at her loyal aides. "Retrieve extra bedding for them and the others. And if you can manage it, please locate some food as well."

The two men bowed deeply and set off on their task. It was strange, Karai thought, how obediently they served her. She had never really given it much consideration beforehand, for she had known them for many years now; ever since her father had sent her to head the Japanese branch of the Foot, they had accompanied with her. Then, the daughter of Oroku Saki had to assume that they had done it out of service to the Shredder. Skilled warriors, the both of them, in her youth they had been much like her body guards, and at a rank matching if not succeeding the Foot Elite, they were damn good ones too.

However, as time had passed they had begun to serve her as more than protectors, instead carrying out her will as she deemed necessary. Even when she had returned to New York in what wasn't that long ago but felt like a lifetime almost, when all but she had credited the Shredder as dead, they were loyal. Not once had they questioned her and always had they acted upon her judgement.

There were still men she knew of in Japan who would be astounded, perhaps even appalled, by that little fact.

Massaging the back of her hand, which was beginning to feel sore from the strain of the day's most difficult battle thus far, the woman walked over to the three make-shift beds that were occupied. A quick glimpse revealed that the two her aides had retrieved before being joined by herself and the others were doing well. Taking out a needle, she gave each another injection of the sedative, careful not to use too much nor to touch the skin of their necks. That task done, she discarded the syringes in a trash can that rested nearby and moved on to the third of them.

Brought in with her nameless infected ninjas, this sickly soldier was nowhere near as healthy. A bright sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead and every other part of his body that was visible. He was wheezing loudly in short breaths and when he twitched in his sleep, miscellaneous objects in the room would shudder, though they remained in place.

Folding her arms, Karai looked down upon him in sorrow. She knew that there was little she could do for him besides make him feel comfortable. Perhaps some of the others they'd retrieved could be saved, but this one… the infection was just too far developed in his body.

How well had this soldier served her? Surely not with as much loyalty as her trusted aides, but such devotion in a person was indeed rare to find these days. That of the other ninja she now commanded was strong by most standards, cultivated by her beloved father and master and difficulty but soon surely maintained when leadership had switched hands.

There was one thing she had never looked on in favor about Oroku Saki. Though he encouraged loyalty to the clan- demanded it, actually, he rarely looked upon his ninja as more than his soldiers, besides the select number, of course. And even as she strived to imitate his example, Karai couldn't help but look at these men and women at times and think of them as the bones and vital organs of her own self. Her father has once said that that could be a weakness, for there were times when life must be expendable.

Hard as she'd tried, it was something she'd only managed to hide and not change about herself. The quality was just too important to her, and she feared its loss.

Finding another blanket doubled over neatly on the floor, the woman looked upon the soul before her, eyes sadly watching over him. And with tears that she would not shed, she unfolded the sheet and spread it over the man, covering her body as well as his face.

In those short few minutes, far quicker than she'd expected, he had passed away.

&&&&&

It was almost inconceivable that a large man like Ballenger should have fingers that moved so lightly over a keyboard, quickly punching in figures and designing the program that would change some of the software remotely inside of their microscopic cameras. From the looks of him, many probably would've thought that this man had been a star player on his high school football time, perhaps a wrestler. Instead, he was a genius with technology and an expert in human anatomy, alien anatomy, and viruses of both sorts. Yes, Agent Bishop doubted that anyone in the real world could guess what he was.

But that was stereotyping. Really, even more so, none of them would be able to come close to understanding what he himself was either.

Ballenger typed in another string of data and analyzed it carefully. "Agent Bishop," He began, "Are you sure you want me to be the one doing this? You said it was Doctor Stockman who came up with this plan- shouldn't he be the one putting it into action? He's more likely to have an idea of-"

The government agent interrupted him. "While the good doctor may be a giant among genius in this earth, even he is not the most qualified in every area. The last time I let him play with something involving human life, he created a new body for himself."

"With all due respect, sir," Ballenger said, "That's more than I've accomplished."

Adjusting his glasses, Bishop folded his arms and stared at him. "Yes, well he didn't do it correctly. Doctor Stockman lacked the proper genetic materials to sustain that body. Not only did the transfer go wrong, it caused many other problems; in particular, his body rapidly decayed and his mind, which until that point had been in perfect condition, decided to go along with it. He decided to go attack Miss O'neil- you recall her from your files I hope?" The man nodded and Bishop straightened his tie. "In either case, I won't be trusting Stockman again with such delicate work. A single error could cause the devices to malfunction, ultimately killing the subject. And there's still much I'd like to learn from him."

Turning his chair, the redhead looked at him quizzically. "Sir, we're just converting them into tracking devices."

Bishop was silent for a moment, deciding it finally for the best not to tell the man that this technology was one and the same that had been used when the scientist had tried to repair his new body, only making it worse, of course. Telling Ballenger this would probably create a sense of unease and failure would ensue- something he could not afford right now. Besides, the agent had confidence by now that he could handle it as Stockman could not.

Without telling him, he'd been giving Ballenger this technology to tinker with during his entire employment and everything had run smoothly. Fact was, as intelligent as Stockman was, with every new time period came a handful of greater geniuses to outclass the old ones. He'd seen it happen time and again, more so than most had the opportunity to, as Baxter Stockman was already well aware. Before his work with the Foot had ended, Doctor Chaplin had proven himself to have a new degree of talent- as much as his idol couldn't stand it.

There was no point in explaining to him that Bishop had found future replacements. As it was, these bunch still had much to learn and Stockman was still very useful. Placing his hands behind his back, Bishop recalled he had yet to answer Ballenger. "If that is all you're doing, than I'd expect you to be done by now."

Not at all intimidated, the muscular man turned back to work. That at least must've worked out for him; geek or not in school, he _did _have the build of a football player. Bishop doubted that he'd had much to worry about as far as harassment was concerned.

Writing down a few notes and typing in a few more codes, Ballenger looked up at him. "It'll be done in about twenty minutes, sir. There's a lot of code to go through, but I should be able to have it done quickly."

Bishop nodded. "And you can guarantee I'll be able to track Leonardo?"

The man turned back to his work. "Of course."

&&&&&

Unceremoniously, Leo let the last of Karai's Foot soldiers fall to the floor. She had had her back turned to him and with the thud had turned to see what had happened. The woman's face was racked with sorrow that stung him but through her despair a glare managed to crack through her pain and strike him like a beam. Leo was grateful she did not have the power. He hurt enough as it was already.

Despite her look of malice, she did nothing further, instead turning back to look at the funny bump beneath the cream-colored sheet before her. With the sonar, the turtle was able to tell that that strange lump was actually a person; there was no life in him anymore- no breath or heartbeat.

Thinking of a heartbeat stirred up a dark memory inside of him, an incomplete painting lacking colors or a distinct shape. Still, it made him shudder. Inside the core of him, Leo felt the shadow fidget but sleep on.

He was aware that he had been forgetting many things lately. Sometime Karai would speak to him and it wouldn't be too long later that he forgot what she had said. The same went for what he had done. How he had gotten to this tower was starting to become vague in the ninja's mind; Leo couldn't recall much besides some rather tall buildings.

Seeing the body before him and sensing its rhythm of breath and pulse, Leo felt inclined to atone for his rushed movements and nudged the person into a more comfortable position with the power. Doing so reminded him of why he'd been forced to drop thew man in the first place and he staggered backwards before bumping into a wooden pole, sinking to the ground.

His bones trembled within his skin and his lungs started pounding again. He felt dizzy and closed his eyes to calm down, unconsciously moaning softly.

When he realized what he was doing, he stopped immediately, pride preventing him in some matters still. Karai and her aides, who had returned, hadn't heard him but his two new allies, with their superior senses, had known before he had. The woman knelt before him. "Not feeling so good?" She asked.

Hesitantly, Leo shook his head and coughed once. "My chest still- hill, will, fill- hurts. My head too."

The male looked at him, and yawned. "Wanna lie down?" He was already fetching his pillow, which had remained in place, as well as Leo's.

The turtle shrugged. "…Hungry." He mumbled.

Cocking her head, the female's eyes became distant before looking back at him. Suddenly, out of the taller aide's grasp flew a bag of _Doritos _and a bag of cookies. She tossed the bag of chips to Leo but held on to the treats and began tapping her mouth as she opened the bag with the power. "Five cookies… how to divide it? You want some?" She asked the other Foot ninja behind her.

He settled down into his pillow and made a funny face. "I'm not hungry."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Fine then. More- door, score, shore- for me."

Leo opened the chips and began eating them. "I thought- lot, not, caught- you weren't hungry?"

The woman shrugged her shoulders, her brown hair flipping behind her back as she did so. "Now I am. So… one for you and four for me," She declared. Seeing Leo's look, she explained before he could open his mouth. "You got the chips."

Sighing, the blue-clad ninja nodded. That seemed fair enough. He took his cookie from her and saved it for last, beginning to digest the nacho-flavored chips. It was funny, he couldn't recall tasting them before but as far as he knew, they had never been this good before.

Unfortunately, his chest didn't feel any better once he was done- nor his head. He wanted to hold his breath until he blacked out, if only it would all go away.

_Pain is something that sometimes can be prevented, but never stopped. _His original voice instructed him. _For now, you'll have to endure it._

Why did it sound so worried? Rubbing his head, Leo listened as the girl next to him began to debate some strange subject with her own voice before asking his what was happening.

The teacher was hesitant. _Something seems wrong._

Grabbing his pillow, Leo lay on the floor. "I don't feel good. That's all- hall, wall, stall."

Quiet for a moment. _As far as you know now. _It sighed. _What are you doing here, Leonardo? Does this feel right to you?_

He blinked. "I don't know. The floor's a little hard." With the power, he lifted a blanket and covered himself.

The voice ignored his comment. _There is danger everywhere, _It told him, making Leo wonder if he'd heard this speech before. _You should always be watching for it. Hawks will strike from above and snakes in the grass. Do you feel comfortable working for this Karai?_

"I don't know," The ninja responded, becoming confused. He coughed long and hard and found another blanket. "It feels a little…" He tried to think of the right word; "Weird. But it's… no. It's just weird, that's all. I don't know- go, show, low- what else to say about it."

To his left, the female Foot ninja seemed to be learning a technique from her voice. His own soon responded. It seemed a little relieved, but that nervous quality remained. _Very well. Still, you should remember to keep an eye out. You were uncomfortable before- that much was obvious. That's usually an indicator that something is up._

"Okay," Leo acknowledged, yawning before coughing. "I'll watch out." His voice came out rough and scratchy in his throat. Eyelids heavy, he closed them.

It was so damn cold! Another thing he hadn't forgotten was how cold he'd been but he thought he'd grown used to it. Apparently not. There weren't many more blankets nearby but he grabbed another. And then another. And just one more.

As he dreamt, his lungs expanding like balloons with limited space to move, he shivered in his sleep.

&&&&&

A light beeped on a small device on the table where Leatherhead sat at. Raising his head, the croc looked at it before quickly rising out of his seat and rushing over to a computer console.

Dropping his book suddenly, waking both Raph and Michelangelo in the process, Don followed. "What is it?" He asked.

"The tests have concluded," Leatherhead told him. "In theory the way the cure should work is through a series of injections, more or less depending on the stage of the infected. However, by this point we should be able to conclude if it will be successful or not."

"Really?" Don asked, clearly surprised. "You can tell that soon?" Leatherhead couldn't blame him for his wonder. Normally he too would brood over the effectiveness of the antidote further down the line.

But in all fairness, he doubted there would be any problems. With the enzyme serving as a catalyst as well as the source of Vitamin A… there truly left little room for error. The only reason why the protein in the infected's bacteria found in their lungs wasn't as effective was that there were _thousands _more harmful viruses along with it, beating it back.

Leatherhead was hopeful. "Yes, my friend," He told Donatello. Calling up the newly arrived information on the project, he showed a toothy grin. "Ah! The test has gone off with limited problems." His grin faded and his forehead creased with a frown. "It seems that in the beginning, as the infection dissipates, the fever presents a challenge. That very infection is what helps them survive the high temperature, as you are aware by now." He read more. "However, it seems to be easily overcome given proper attention and care."

Don read over the information and it seemed to the crocodile that he had reached the same conclusion. Still, he turned to him and it was at that point that the anger-prone reptile could see how young he truly appeared. "LH… you're positive that this will work?" He asked. "You're sure it's safe for my family?"

Again, Leatherhead examined the data. Finally, he looked back at Donatello once more and nodded. "Indeed, my friend. I am willing to stake my life on it- and I will be with you every step of the way to make sure all goes well."

The purple-banded turtle nodded. "Okay then." LH smiled at him before looking up in thought. "What?" Don asked.

"One thing is questionable," Leatherhead began. "Doctor Stockman's computer simulation should have been completed before mine. I wonder what has taken him so long?"

Mikey stretched. "Computers? Oh, that must be what he's doing. He's been by these big computers for a long time now." Leatherhead recalled the scientist's sudden disappearance and realized what had happened. He breathed out in rage. Why hadn't they been informed?

But then the youngest ninja continued and all thoughts on that matter were forgotten. Mike looked at Raph, who was making funny gestures with his fingers… like he was talking to someone. "Hey, Raph!" Mike shouted. "Do you have the power yet?"

His brother shot him a glare colder than any he'd ever seen before continuing on with his quiet conversation. Don swallowed and looked at him. Leatherhead had thought he'd looked young before. "LH- let's hurry up and get that cure ready."

&&&&&

It hadn't been long after he'd fallen asleep that Raphael had begun to dream. He'd found himself in a vacuum- a void of nothing. It was wonderful; such a relief from the rest of the world that the turtle basked in its silence for quite some time.

He hadn't realized until much later that it wasn't as quiet as he'd thought. No, there was a voice there; the ninja had been listening to it for a while now but he hadn't really perceived it until now. The sounds of the outside world had been explosive last he'd checked, so a normal voice was surprising soft against his delicate ear drums.

Something that blew that out of the water was how similar it was to his own. Perhaps deeper, a little darker, but that Brooklyn accent was indeed his.

Before he could speak, a bomb exploded. Nearly jumping out of his shell, his eyes snapped open. Hearing heavy footsteps, he looked around in search of what he could only presume to be giants. Quickly, Raph figured out there were none and what he was hearing were the footfalls of his brother and Leatherhead. Likewise, what he'd thought had been a bomb was merely Don's book hitting the table.

The two began to converse loudly and Raph wanted to scream at them to shut up, even though it'd probably just make it worse. How had Splinter stayed asleep? Listening to the old rat's breathing, he realized that he was in fact awake. Well, then, how did he stand this?

When Don and LH continued, he covered his ears, trying to block out the sound. It was of no help at all.

If they didn't stop soon, he'd have to kill them.

The thought was so sudden, involuntary, and terrifying that it made his breath hitch. No, no- he would _never_ do that.

_Of course not. _Suddenly the dark voice was there, no longer a dream. _You like them. There's no reason to kill your family. If anybody, you should kill Agent Bishop for all the suffering he's caused you._

Raph found himself nodding along before coming to an abrupt halt. "Wait a minute, why the hell am I listenin' to you?"

_Maybe 'cause you feel like it. _It suggested. _Or maybe 'cause you know I'm right._

"We'll see about that," He muttered.

_Indeed. _It agreed. _Now, there's a lot for you to learn. _

"Hold it for a freakin' second," The turtle in red said. "I pretty much know that a voice in your head is a bad thing."

If this was how it had been for Leo, Raphael could no longer blame the guy. It sounded so real.

It laughed at him. _You think knowing how to control this is a bad thing? The power that you're being granted- you think it's wrong to have it?_

"I ain't so interested in the power," He said, knowing it was becoming a lie. It was actually starting to sound like fun. "But you say I can control this?"

_It's very simple._

And it was. As the voice began to speak, Raph realized that it really _had _spoken those same words before as he'd slept. Once they were repeated, they struck the ninja like lightning. He found that if he didn't want to hear the surrounding sounds around him at al, he didn't have to. Damn- why didn't he have this before? Okay, sure this would kill him, but to block out Mikey when his brother was at his most annoying? It might just be worth it.

In the dream, he'd learned more than he'd remembered; it all came back to him like a boomerang and Raph was pleased with himself. The process was effortless now and soon each sense was completely under his command.

_And there is more to come. _The voice spoke. _So much more to learn. Soon no one will be able to hurt you. Think of what you can do!_

Mikey yawned. A good normal yawn- but it was still aggravating. "Hey, Raph! Do you have the power yet?"

He turned and glared at him for interrupting. Then Don spoke to Leatherhead. "LH- let's hurry up and get that cure ready."

A smile broke out on Raph's face. Poor Don. He just didn't understand what it was like. Heck, he hadn't either until a few moments ago. He still wasn't sure he got it, but the more time went on, the more things were starting to make sense. "Why the hell would I want a cure?" He asked.

The doors opened and in marched Bishop's men before his brother could answer, guns ready. Raph had no doubt that they had been eavesdropping. The same ass from before looked at Donny. "We have orders to take the one called Raphael."

The turtle on red snickered. "Yeah, right." His look of amusement turned dark. Perhaps he didn't have the power yet, but he was still a ninja. And a damn good one, too. "Good luck with that, shithead."

&&&&&

Yay! At least I was able to get this one done! I can't guarantee I'll have Cork up by the time I leave my Dad's, but I'll be working on it.

A few notes. One- yes, Stockman did come up with the tracking device idea. I didn't actually mention it, but there was a chapter, it was the one where he thought of the enzyme I believe, where he thought he had a way to find Leo. He mentioned it to Bishop- we just didn't see it.

Secondly, if you haven't guessed, Raph has a very progressive shadow. It's the reason behind his potty mouth. So… if you're curious to see what happens next, wait for the next chappie!

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	21. Call It Progress

May I again stress the point of what a relief _Infection_ can be? It's like, I don't feel like I'm letting anyone down if I keep it under ten pages. Ten! Good chappie! Whereas in _Cork_, if I don't get at least twenty I freak out. But that's actually never happened- for some reason, despite how long that story takes I never reach a chapter's end until about that point, if not longer.

Anyways, here I am again! (waves) Have I mentioned how insane I've been going? My Internet access is so limited at my father's (and I have none at all at my mother's), that everyday is driving me nutso! We don't even have cable- and I can't drive yet, so if I want to go somewhere, I have to walk to Wal-Mart! I think that's why I've been getting sick.

Well, enough ranting. Time to write. It's like the only thing I can do now.

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: The TMNT _do _belong to me! Ah, forget it. No one believes you when you're kept in a padded cell anyways.

&&&&&

Mikey knew that Raphael was developing the power. Maybe he wasn't as good as he was yet, but he was definitely on his way. But as he watched him, the young turtle became frightened. Yes, Raph was developing the power- he obviously had a voice now. But it wasn't one like _his. _How he knew this… Mikey wasn't sure. He didn't even understand how there could be different types. But it was something he just knew- like something written into his blood.

_There's a shadow in everyone, _His voice explained. _You can't always fight it, even if you're a good person. _

So when Raph announced he didn't want a cure, for what he didn't know, Mikey wasn't at all surprised. And when a group of men with guns came in and demanded that he come with them, it wasn't a shock to hear the ninja in red call them shitheads. For some reason, that felt normal under any circumstance.

Seeming to recognize the hostility radiating from him, the man in the lead raised his weapon and those behind him followed suit. Don raised his hand and shouted. "Wait!"

It wouldn't have done any good. Before any of them had a chance to fire, Raph was charging forward, sais ready. With a strong kick, he hit the leader in the face, sending him to the ground, and then threw his sai to the left while tackling the nearest man to the right. Mikey could see the blood before it was shed and it sent chills through his bones. The power flowed through him just barely in time to stop it, an inch away from the soldier's liver. Raph, done with the second man, seemed to realize his prey hadn't been killed. With a growl, he turned around and punched the intended target in the jaw and the man toppled over like a sack of potatoes. "Stay out of this Mikey," He snarled.

On the chair, Mike swung his legs. "Uh, okay." As it turned out, he didn't have to do anything more. Raph didn't bother to use his sais again, instead knocking out the last two men within ten seconds. With a grin, he sheathed his weapons. "That was fun." He listened to his own voice and chuckled, turning for the door. "Sounds good to me."

"Raphael!" Splinter commanded, moving himself out of the meditation he'd kept himself in throughout the duration of the short-lived battle. The rat winced upon hearing his own words and Mikey mourned for his Sensei. It was sad to see others hurting. Maybe Splinter hadn't yet learned how to control his senses- hadn't he also once had difficulty with that? Mikey was certain that that was what the problem was; Splinter was shaking, fighting it, almost. Yet he struggled on, eventually giving up on standing and instead fixing Raph with a pointed glare. "What are you doing, my son?"

The other ninja seemed willing to entertain him. "To find Agent Bishop, Sensei," He said smoothly. "I'm kinda curious to see if the guy has a heart. Only way to figure that out is to carve a whole in his chest, ya know."

"Not really," Mikey put in quietly. "I can hear it from here."

Raph snickered, not amused. "Well let's see how much it bleeds then."

"No, Raphael," Master Splinter said, then closed his eye, turning his head and gritting his teeth. As if vanquishing his demon away, he exhaled and looked at the red-clad turtle. "You must not."

"Yeah?" Raph asked sarcastically. From the look on his face Mikey could tell a storm was coming. It made him think of actual thunderclouds and he wondered why they made the sky turn gray. His brother's contesting step forward however brought him out of his distractions. "Why not?"

Donatello spoke in Splinter's place. "Because like it or not, we still need him to help us find Leo."

Mikey looked around the room. Leo was gone? He'd forgotten that. Raph apparently hadn't though; he waved a hand, unimpressed by this defense. "No we don't- hell, if it weren't for these assholes, we'd probably have him back by now. Last we know he was with Karai, right? How many places could that bitch be?"

"A _lot_," Don stated, as Leatherhead kneeled down to speak to Master Splinter. "She's become a very prominent figure around the world since she's occupied Shredder's place in the Foot Clan- there's more to that than coming after us. She-"

"She won't be hard to find, Donny," Raph said roughly. "You'll see. And the sooner we get rid of Bishop, the sooner we can go after her."

"And what after that, Raph?" The purple-clad turtle exclaimed. "You forget, even if we find Leo, he doesn't have much time left- and neither do Mikey, or Sensei, or you! There's no way we're getting back in here for the cure if you've killed Bishop. Are you willing to kill everyone, Raph? Because that's what you're about to do."

Raising his hands in mock enjoyment, Raph backed up closer to the exit. "You just don't get it, do ya, Don? This infection- it ain't a bad thing; we were wrong to think it was. Heck, how do we know that we even die? Maybe it just takes some time to adjust to an alien virus."

"My friend," The crocodile started. "You do not comprehend what you are saying-"

He pointed a finger at all of them. "You'll see. It'll all make sense soon." His scowl turned into a grin, and like the first bolt of lightning in the storm, he ran out of the room.

"Raph!" Don shouted, darting after him. The doors parted again, giving him room to exit, but his brother didn't leave. Mikey could tell why- Raph had gone down another hallway in that brief period that separated them from each other's sight and now Donny was debating which route their sibling would've taken.

He wondered if he should tell him. Raph had said something along the lines of 'stay out of this', but then again, he'd probably been listening to his shadow. _You must use the power for good when others use it for selfish gain,_ His voice told him.

About to open his mouth, he closed it when Splinter spoke. "I could not stop him," the rat said, one hand clutching at his head.

"It's not your fault, Sensei," Don assured him. "I don't think any of us could."

Leatherhead nodded in agreement. "Are you all right, my friend?"

"I will be fine," Splinter told him. "I have just been concentrating on my mediation in an attempt to block out the… next stage of this infection. But we cannot worry over myself at this time; we must stop Raphael."

Reluctantly, Don walked back over. "No, Sensei. You have to stay here and rest. The cure's ready; I'll go find Raph. In the meantime, LH will get everything prepared." The crocodile again nodded in accordance. "You just rest here, Master."

Hopping off of the chair, Mike caught his brother's attention. "Can I come, too- who, sue, new?"

Don nodded. "I suppose so- I could use your help. But Mikey, you have to stay focused."

"Sure," Mike said, though he wasn't entirely positive what Donny meant by that. He started for the door before his sibling had moved. "He went this way."

&&&&&

Leonardo seemed to be trying to gag on his own lungs as he slept, Karai observed. All but her trusted aides were in the rapture of unconsciousness, though several of them were arguably less comfortable than others even if they didn't know it. The turtle was one of these, twitching constantly and muttering incoherent whispers. His fever, she assumed, must've increased for the daughter of Oroku Saki could now make out a thin sheen of sweat lining his temple if she looked close enough.

As she inspected the conditions of her other soldiers, Karai found herself wondering what stage her father's enemy was at. As this matter had only come into the light of the public eye so recently, he clearly had to be one of the first to be infected. But when she compared his symptoms to her own warriors, Karai found herself confused. She had quickly caught on that the afflicted suffered their condition on a set timeline, almost. Those who could use their newfound abilities the best were a little past the median of their sickness, while those who didn't were either starting out or finishing the rest of their lives in such a state. If they were dying, the physical decline to their health was of course more apparent.

But while Leonardo was clearly among the sickest of those she had seen in this room, his power still surpassed anyone else's by at least tenfold. It was so strange.

Turning her head towards the balcony, she overlooked the sky. Big gray clouds had swallowed up the space out there. Realizing she had lost all track of time, Karai walked over to her desk, upon which sat a small ticking clock. At nearly four in the afternoon, the woman found herself surprised; for some reason, she had felt as if it were evening.

Shaking her head, she sat down, her legs crossed neatly. Whilst the shorter of the two aides continued to attend the soldiers, the second approached her, kneeling at the table. "Do you require anything, mistress?" He asked her.

"No," Karai responded. "I am well. But thank you for your concern."

"Perhaps you should rest as well," The man suggested. "You will need all of your strength for your next foray into the lower levels of the tower."

She smiled. "That is kind of you, but I do not require such repose at this time. There are far too many things I am obligated to oversee." Nodding, her aide turned around to watch the soldiers, taking a similar position at her side. Ignoring the visual odor of death that seemed to be increasing, Karai turned her neck and found her father's portrait. She studied his features, forever frozen in that strong pose, and longed for his guidance. "He would be so displeased by my actions," She reasoned.

"How so, mistress?" Her aide questioned, acknowledging her without glancing back.

Not having intended to voice that thought, Karai nevertheless answered it. Perhaps it was merely a portrait, but the Shredder's eyes were still penetrating. "I am harboring one of his greatest enemies, the one responsible for his exile. I should have had Leonardo killed at his points of weakness which he has displayed countless times in my presence. Instead, I continue to use him and care for him as best as we're able in his time of malady. For my father's honor, he should be dead by now."

"I do not think you've made the wrong decision, Mistress Karai," The man voiced. "While you may be keeping the turtle alive to further our goals, I cannot see it as a sign of weakness on your part. Likely, your father would've made a comparable decision himself. Long had he wanted to destroy his enemies from within. Turning one against the rest would have no doubt given him great satisfaction. And the death this creature is doomed to suffer I feel will be more painful than any we could dream of bestowing him. If anything, you are extending his anguish and relishing in the vengeance for Oroku Saki."

Looking back, she followed the aide's train of sight to Leonardo's form, which had doubled in on itself. A pained look on his sleeping features, he wheezed irregularly. "You may speak true," She said quietly. "But I feel such a choice may have been dishonorable on my account."

The tall man was silent for a few moments, collecting his thoughts. "To your father, or to yourself?" He asked her.

She glanced at the back of his head sharply. When he didn't continue, she knew that he wasn't expecting an answer. On the floor, clutching his chest, Leonardo screamed; still asleep and incompletely aware of his agony. Raising her chin, Karai whispered. "I deliver you your reprisal, father."

&&&&&

Every noise filtered through his mind like life itself. It was a fast-moving stream of water going down over the falls and Raphael could make out the sound of each individual molecule as it filed against those next to it and each variable it stumbled past on its way down.

He wondered why he'd ever thought this infection could be a bad thing. He felt invincible at this moment, and he hadn't even developed the power yet. What was it he'd be able to do? A sonar and telekinesis; the turtle in red could do some serious damage with those.

Far away, he could hear a man talking to someone about altering certain codes to convert one device into another. As the man went on, completely unaware that Raph was listening between ten different walls, the ninja was more surprised that he understood what was being said. But a high IQ was also part of the package, right?

And there it was- in response to the man's explanation on how he was completing the project he was working on, the voice of Agent Bishop gave acknowledgement. Raph grinned wickedly.

_He's nothing compared to you, _The voice told him. _And yet he holds the fate of your family in his hands? You could break those hands so easily- along with his neck._

Raph rubbed his palms together. "Oh, wouldn't that be fun." He pondered over his situation. "Should I wait? I mean, I think I could send a bigger message once I know how to use the power." How he longed to have it for himself- the voice had been whispering sweet tales of it into his head all along the way now, telling him how it would only be a matter of time before it was his.

_Indeed but why wait? There's no time to sit around. And don't worry- there's plenty of fish in the sea for you to fry- enemies that will never harm you again soon._

"I like your thinkin'," Raph laughed. "But let's make it quick. It won't be long before they find out where I'm at."

His poor family. They just didn't get it yet. This thing was a blessing, not a curse. Well, they'd realize the truth sooner or later. All Raph had to do was make sure they didn't find him, which was simple to do when he could hear their every movement.

As he drew closer to Bishop, he encountered a guarded door. With a powerful kick that the first man didn't see coming, and swift cuff to the back of another soldier's head, they were on the ground and he was free to figure out his way in. The doors didn't just open as you walked up to them, like most of the entries in this place. Rather, Raph quickly spotted a place to slide a key card and a panel to place your hand on.

Humming, he fished around in the first man's shirt pocket and found a little piece of plastic. Dragging him over to the panel, he slid the card through, then placed the limp palm over the scanner. The words 'ACCESS GRANTED' flashed over the screen and dropping the limb, Raph strolled in and the shadow trembled within him.

The room was placed further away from all of the other happenings in this closed off section of the place. _Good, _The voice spoke as they drew closer. This door, and he assumed all of the others in this section, were like those of the rest of the base. "What a design flaw," Raph mumbled. "Bishop's gonna kick himself." The doors parted as the ninja drew his sais. "Guess who?" He announced, launching one weapon at the government agent's throat.

Moving aside with the unusual quickness they'd seen in him countless times before, Bishop placed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Ballenger," He said to a large, redheaded man; "Remind me to fire the security."

"I've been wantin' to do this for a _long _time, Bishop," Raph said, pointing his sai at him. After all the shit you've put us through, you're long overdue."

"Clearly the infection has gotten to you, Raphael," The man responded. "Because I know if you were in your right mind you wouldn't be so foolish as to choose this course of action."

"That's the beauty of it. See, it makes you think. I just suddenly remembered the part where you're our enemy, you son of a bitch. And I don't work with my enemies."

"You do if you want your family to live."

Raph snorted. "We don't need you. Hell, you're better at making messes than cleanin' 'em up anyways. We stick with you and we'll all end up as one of your little experiments- somethin' to be featured on a news special a few years from now." His eyes narrowed. "And why should I let that happen when I can kill you right now?"

Movement came from the side- the redhead. A large fist nearly caught Raph in the beak as the scientist tried to tackle him. _Focus! _Yelled the voice. With a quick dodge that sent him behind the man, the turtle fell into a spin kick, his foot connecting evenly with the redhead's back. Raph could hear footsteps echoing hurriedly from the rear and performed a back flip to avoid getting hit. Bishop stopped on the dime and pivoted around, ready to face him. Now having switched places, reaching back, Raph pulled his sai from the wall and made a zigzag motion with the tip of it, drawing invisible scores into Agent Bishop's head and chest.

His eyes never leaving the turtle's, the man tugged on his tie and pulled it from his neck in one solid motion. With both hands he pulled the garment taut.

Raph smiled. This was going to be more fun that he'd expected.

&&&&&

Between the veils of consciousness and nothingness, the space within Leo's lungs began to boil. No matter how hard he tried to breathe, the air settled like a thick dust in his mouth and chest while his organs tried to swell past the barrier of his rib cage. Pounding; constantly pounding, it seemed.

If that hadn't been irritating enough to begin with, the lightning strikes in his brain certainly made the icing on the cake. It wasn't anywhere near as relentless as his chest pain, but it was slowly driving him to the breaking point.

With the power, he wrapped the blankets tighter around his cold frame and willed himself to dive further into the blackness of sleep, if only to escape this agony. Rather, his heavy eyelids separated to reveal to him his location- a strange room with wood floors that he knew should seem familiar. To his right, the teacher sat- its faceless front glowing as luminously as he'd seen it before. "What's happening?" Leo forced the words out of his mouth, choking on the words as they tried to travel up his throat.

_Something is wrong, _The teacher's voice echoed in his head. _Can you sense it now? Its presence dwelled with us earlier… but how could we have known? _The figure seemed to shudder along with the turtle at the violent attack on his chest. _Something is wrong._

The coughing prevented Leo from speaking. _It hurts… _He whispered to the voice. The sonar folded within and examined his body, trying to sense the source of his torture. There was something strange in his lungs, he could see, but he'd long known it had been with him all this time. And dangerous or not, there was an aura of foreboding around it- he was forbidden to touch it with his power.

Behind the white figure, he could see a woman watching him. Did he know her?

Something screamed from within his soul, hurting him more than his physical ailments had done thus far. _She is letting us suffer! She wants you to die! Kill her! Kill her now and your problems will be over!_

A name flashed into his head, provided by the shadow. Karai. Such hatred for this woman he'd felt before but he still couldn't understand why-

_Hush! _The teacher screamed at the darker mentor that lay inside him. _You have no place here._

The shadow's anger was intense but it still had no way out at this time. And as it collapsed in on itself, the shockwave of pain that next traveled through his lungs caused Leo to do the same.

It was, in itself, a relief.

&&&&&

Agent Bishop had dealt with the infected countless times by now. He had seen, firsthand, the results when insanity finally set in so he could easily recognize it now in the turtle before him. And it was becoming evident that Raphael was one of the violent variety, unlike Michelangelo.

He'd have to consider firing the security _and _the men who were supposed to have taken the red-clad ninja into a holding cell when he started exhibiting this symptom.

The man had his tie wrapped around his knuckles, held out in a firm line at shoulder-length. Even with his genetically altered DNA, there was no telling what the aftermath would be if he came into contact with Raphael. It was possible he could survive the infection, maybe even without any side effects. On the other hand, there was reason to believe he'd die just like all the others- or faster than the others. They'd learned, however, that the infection could only be spread through direct contact; thus, it wouldn't pass through cloth. "Don't make this mistake, Raphael-"

His opponent's eyes lowered. "Quit stalling, Bishop. I came here for a fight, not a commercial." Not even giving the government agent time to respond, Raphael broke into a run, setting up a powerful kick aimed for his midsection.

That was definitely one advantage to his abduction; the change to Bishop's genetic structure had ultimately made him faster than the average human. His reflexes, in particular, were at the peak of human potential. Dropping down, he immediately transformed his defensive move into a mule kick that sent the turtle over his head. But Raphael was quick to recover, landing evenly on his feet for a few brief seconds before coming at him again.

The sais were out and the ninja slashed them at Bishop's neck and arms. Leaning back, he was able to avoid getting his throat slit open but the metal did manage to cut through his suit and into his right shoulder. The wound was no matter; he was a quick healer. However, that jacket had been rather expensive.

Next the sai came down, he was ready for it. Wrapping the tie over Raph's arm, he twisted it around until the wrist was behind his shell. Spinning his body around, Bishop kicked him in the shin while simultaneously letting him go. Before the ninja had a chance to hit him again, Bishop struck him in the jaw with his covered fist.

Raph reeled from the punch for but a second before tackling him. The attack was strong enough to knock the breath out of Bishop when he hit the ground; he hated that feeling.

But instead of delivering the final blow, Raphael turned towards the door, halting those who were entering before they could take another two steps in. "What do you want _now_?" He asked, his tone exasperated. "You," He quickly barked, pointing a finger at Ballenger who'd started to move from his position on the floor; "Stay put."

His two brothers faced him, Donatello quickly scanning over the situation before allowing himself to make eye contact. "Raph, wait."

"I'm still killin' him, Don- and I ain't about to let you stop me. So just turn-"

"No, no- that's not what I mean," The purple-clad turtle said. Air started flowing back into Bishop's lungs. Shaking his head, he quickly stood. "We aren't here to stop you; we want in."

Michelangelo blinked, but made no other move. Raph folded his arms over his plastron, seeming skeptical, but pleased. "Wanna run that by me again?"

"We're here to help you," Don stated. "I started thinking about what you told me, and well, I realized I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. You're right. This all really would be much simpler with Bishop out of the picture."

Raphael grinned. "That so?" He placed his hands down and turned slightly. "Then come on, brother. Show him what ya got."

Don hesitated only to draw his bo staff. While Mikey remained where he stood, his brother marched closer towards Bishop, Raphael following. The government agent raised his fists again, still wrapped in the tie. "I can handle the lot of you," He reminded them. His new opponent didn't answer; he simply raised his staff.

Inches from his body and seconds before Bishop launched into an attack aimed to break the ninja's legs, the bo staff immediately changed directions. There was a resounding _crack _as it connected with Raphael's head, making the infected turtle stagger backwards, clutching his skull. "Mikey," Don said quietly.

Bishop looked up to see Michelangelo respond to his name. His eyes flickered back to Raphael and understanding appeared to dawn on his features. His eyes glazed over and with that, Raphael's body flew into a wall. The turtle slumped down and did not get back up.

There was nothing but a sense of sorrow in the way that Donatello walked over to check on his sibling. After a few seconds, he glanced up at Mikey. "Don't worry- he should be okay."

Uncoiling the tie from his hands, Bishop closed the distance between them. "Clever," He remarked.

Taking his brother's arm, Don pulled Raphael with him into a standing position and glared at him. "Believe me; I wish that blow had been for you."

Bishop grinned darkly, adjusting his sunglasses to the customary position they held on his nose when he wasn't battling freaks. A team of his men came in then, showing battle scars from a recent fight. "Sir," The first said, standing at attention.

Turning to them, Bishop allowed his grin to fall from his face. "Gentlemen, if you wish to keep your jobs, I suggest you escort Donatello and his brothers out of here. And keep an eye on Raphael, for if this happens again, your deaths will be a greater mystery than Area 51 itself."

&&&&&

His brother's arm suspended over his shoulder, Don supported Raph as they made their way back to Leatherhead. The cure was waiting, the turtle in purple reminded himself over and over again. Soon this would all be done with.

Their escorts were keeping a tight eye on them, guns trained. Donatello had the feeling it wasn't just because of Raph. When they'd arrived at the base, they'd been given a short overview of everything there. This hadn't been on the tour. "We weren't supposed to see this, were we?" He asked the soldier to his left, who was now sporting a black eye where Raph had hit him.

"Keep walking," The man said, face stoic. Perhaps he'd gotten what he'd deserved.

Most of the doors here were like those of the rest of the building, Don noticed- they opened when they recognized a presence waiting for access, like the swishing entries to a grocery store, though more advanced. However, there were some parts where the security was significantly more beefed up; Don recognized retina scanners among other things in some places and knew these were places where only the ones higher up on the food chain could get in to. "This is where you kept Leo, isn't it?" Through his swollen eye, the man glared. "You don't have to answer," Don told him. "I already know."

Mikey was laughing. "Well, when you put it like that… Yeah, they are pretty silly, aren't they?" He spoke to his voice, which seemed to be visible to his right. His little brother had been fairly upset ever since the appearance of Raphael's shadow and just now seemed to be settling down.

Unfortunately, Bishop's men weren't enjoying it one bit. "Mikey," Don called out to his sibling, having to say his name twice to get his attention. When the ninja in orange turned, he smiled. "Can you give me a hand with Raph?" He asked in hopes of distracting him. Besides, carrying their other brother by himself was slow in progress. "The faster we get back the better."

Grinning, Mike gave him the 'Okay' sign with his fingers. "Sure- fur, sir, her-, dude." Instead of coming over and taking Raph's other side, however, Mike instead passed a look of intense concentration on his face.

"Oh," Don said, just as Raph was lifted into the air. Immediately the men trained their weapons on the youngest of the turtles. Raising his hands to show they weren't going to do anything, Don lowered the gun of the nearest soldier. "Hey, the faster you get rid of us, the quicker you can move on to other matters, right?" Though still wary, they seemed to allow it. And Don was glad for the relief.

Past the main access door they went, the two unconscious guards they'd encountered upon coming through now gone. From there, it was straight to Leatherhead and they went in near silence, accompanied only by the random rhyming mumblings and giggles of Michelangelo.

The doors opened and Don, feeling a little easier now with his family present, moved away from Bishop's men. Master Splinter was still trying to resist the infection's progress inside of his body; the old rat was sitting on a metal table at the far left of the room. Leatherhead was preparing the cure whilst overlooking every detail a team of doctors went through at his side, clearly guarded at all times. This faded from his countenance, however, when he saw his friends entering. "Donatello! I'm pleased for your safe return, my friend." He quickly glanced up at the turtle in red, not apparently disturbed by his levitation. "I trust Raphael is uninjured?"

"He's fine, Leatherhead," Donny assured him, hoping his brother wouldn't recall what happened when he woke up. "But we really didn't have a choice," He said regretfully. "This was the only way to get him back."

The crocodile nodded. "I understand." Asking no further questions, he gestured to a table next to Splinter. Leatherhead began to gather what Don presumed to be the cure. "If you will set him over there, we can begin shortly."

He examined the medicine closely as Mikey placed Raph down on the table. The youngest ninja grinned. "Wanna play- say, ray, bay- a game?" He asked.

"Maybe later," Don told him. "First, I need you to do something for me, Mikey."

The turtle cocked his head. "Like what?"

"Can you sit over here?" Don tapped a table. "Right next to Raph."

Hesitantly, Mikey walked over. Immediately, Don noticed his apprehension. "That stuff smells weird. I don't like it," He said.

Nodding sympathetically, Don placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Mikey. But it's going to make you feel better."

He blinked. "But I feel fine."

His brother rubbed his forehead. "Right…" He thought aloud. "Well, just trust me then."

There was that look in his eyes that let him know Mike was listening to his voice. "I don't know…" The ninja finally said.

From the corner of his eye, Don could see Leatherhead preparing three injections. He sighed and tried to smile, wondering what the finished project looked like through his little brother's eyes. "Can you do it as a favor for me, then?"

Mikey crossed his hands together and glanced at the needles. The infected felt three emotions stronger than any other- pleasure, anger, and fear. From the look on his face, Donatello knew his sibling was experiencing the latter of the three right now.

But bravery had to be in there somewhere. With a gulp, Michelangelo looked up at him and nodded. "Okay," He said quietly.

Patting his shell, Don again attempted a grin. "Thanks, bro. I promise it's going to be all right." As Leatherhead approached, he stepped back. "I think we should start with Mikey. He'll just get more upset if he has to watch Raph and Splinter."

LH nodded. "I agree," He turned to the nunchuck-wielding turtle and gave him a toothy smile. "Michelangelo, my friend; would you care to lie down on the table for me?" Shrugging, Mike rested on his shell. "This may hurt some," Leatherhead said, being only fair in warning him; "But I will attempt to be as gentle as possible."

If he was shivering from the cold or from fear, Don supposed he would never know. But he sat perfectly still as LH inserted the needle into his neck, emptying the contents of the cure into his system. With his extremely perceptive sense of touch, it obviously hurt much worse than it should have. He grit his teeth and his fingers dug into the table, a whimper escaping his mouth; Don couldn't help but grab onto his leg, if only to let him know that he was there. He didn't let go until after his brother's body had relaxed, afraid that Mikey would think that he'd left him.

He hadn't been aware he'd needed such comfort until Leatherhead's hand fell onto his shoulder. "He will be all right, my friend," The croc said. "We shall keep a close eye on him- do not fear. Let us move on to the rest of your family."

Don nodded. "Right," He forced the words from his mouth, slowly following Leatherhead and reminding himself that this was progress.

&&&&&

Another chapter done! (celebrates) And hey, I got in two fight scenes.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed! And guess what? I just graduated from high school! So… a _really _nice graduation present would be for you to drop me in a little review!

Thanks for reading!


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